Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the figures will be out in a few weeks' time but while the Minister has indicated they will be lower, I imagine they will not be much lower. We are all aware of the huge demand for housing and the number on waiting lists around the country. This goes back to Deputy Cowen's question about supply and the construction programme of local authorities. We really need local authorities to build houses for people on waiting lists, which is the most basic and traditional way to supply housing. I did some analysis of the social housing output report of 2015 on schemes that were approved by the beginning of 2016 and the recent social housing construction status report of 2017 indicates that the majority of those approved at that time are still not at construction stage but are in the capital appraisal, preplanning and pre-tender stages. They have not started building yet. What is the Minister doing to get the construction programme moving more quickly? Is the problem in the Department, in councils or somewhere between the two?

See this speech in context