Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It will be a combination of local authority and approved housing body, AHB, units, with around 1,200 being built by the local authorities. We are ramping up and by the middle of next year that figure will be significantly increased. However, we must recognise the realities in the meantime. We have to get families who are currently in totally unsuitable accommodation and people who are in danger of rough sleeping who are in emergency accommodation into sustainable tenancies where possible. Over time, we will dramatically increase the number of social houses that are available to house people but in the meantime we must rely on the housing assistance payment, HAP, the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and other forms of supported tenancies. Most of the HAP tenancies, by the way, are long term, ranging from five to 20 years, so in that sense they can provide good, sustainable solutions for families.

See this speech in context