Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all recognise the severity of the housing shortage in this country, the impact it has on people's day-to-day lives, as well as the human impact on young people who are not be able to afford their own home or on those who are living in overcrowded accommodation and sharing rooms when they need better housing. I do not believe that anyone in the House doubts that impact and the Government certainly does not doubt it.

I do not want to get involved in exchanging statistics with Deputy Martin. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has a different view on the numbers. It is worth saying the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government estimates that 2,000 new social homes - council houses or apartments - will be built in 2017. This is 2,000 in total through direct build. That figure will rise to 3,800 next year. From building very few social housing units a few years ago, it has gone up to a couple of hundred and will be 2,000 this year and 3,800 by next year.

Local authorities can acquire social housing in many different ways. It is not just a case of local authorities building units. The Deputy will be aware from the position in Cork situation, it certainly is the case in Fingal, that local authorities often provide public housing through approved housing bodies, AHBs, such as Clúid and Fold Ireland for example. Local authorities also can bring voids back in to use whereby council houses that are no longer habitable are brought back into habitation. Local authorities sometimes also buy housing directly from private developers. This is done through Part V or through pure, direct acquisition. The Deputy made reference to Fingal County Council having built only ten units. I am sure that is not correct because Fingal is my local authority. Even if that is correct, I know for a fact that last year the authority bought at least 20 units directly from private developers in Waterville alone. There are lots of ways to acquire social housing and it is not just done through direct build by councils. It can be done by approved housing bodies, by purchasing from developers through the Part V system, which ensures integrated communities, and by bringing voids back in to use.

With regard to Deputy Martin's question, there is absolutely no difficulty on behalf of this Government when it comes to supporting the construction of social housing. We agree that building social housing will be part of the solution to the housing crisis. This is why, in 2018, €1.9 billion has been allocated. This will allow for 3,800 new social homes to be built directly by local authorities and approved housing bodies. This is 1,800 more than will be built this year. In addition, a further 1,200 will be Part V builds. The Deputies are aware how that works. Private developers who build a housing estate must offer 10% to the local authority to purchase. That is a good idea because it means we have much more integrated communities. In addition to that, 900 will be acquired and bought directly by local authorities and a further 2,000 will be secured through long-term leasing arrangements. That is a total of 7,900 next year. It must be acknowledged, the Deputy would want it acknowledged, that the important point is that we provide houses and apartments for people who need them. Whether this is done through a voluntary housing body, directly through the council or bought by the council does not matter to the person getting the house.

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