Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response and for correcting the discrepancies in last Monday's announcement and for confirming that only 2,200 new social homes were made available. There was nothing wrong with the Government's targets, its plan or the work that went into devising that plan. The issue was always going to be implementation, and the slow pace and lack of urgency is all too obvious. The Government is way behind its own schedule and targets. It is my job and duty to represent those who have given me the privilege to be here and to lay on the table the Government's failings. A total of 1,500 rapid-build units were to be provided but only 75 have been completed. The Minister made reference to acquisitions.

In many of those cases the people who left the homes could not afford to stay in them. They had to move out of their homes and go on waiting lists. The local authorities then took others off the waiting lists and put them into these homes.

The Government has also failed in the area of supply. It has failed by relying on old and tired systems that are not up to scratch and do not meet the demands placed on them. Land identified many years ago by local authorities and the State has not been acted on.

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