Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Every new home that is built is welcome. Any increase in supply is also to be welcomed. I think the Minister is guilty of presenting too rosy a picture. I would appreciate it if he could address two specific issues, the first of which is private housing output. One of the most worrying aspects of the recent report of the Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce for Dublin is the indication that in the third quarter of last year, there was a 50% decrease in total construction activity in Dublin city and a 20% decrease in such activity in the Dublin region as a whole. I would like the Minister to explain this very worrying development. Does he think this trend will continue?

The other issue I would like him to address is the social housing supply pipeline report, which we have discussed previously at the joint committee. According to the report, just 35% of last year's target number of new-build social houses had been built by the end of the third quarter of 2018. I am not a great fan of the leases that represent a large component of the Minister's targets. The report in question indicated that just 20% or 25% of the leasing target had been achieved. Can the Minister guarantee that all social housing targets will be met in full by the end of this year? Will he respond specifically to the concerns that have been expressed about private sector output in Dublin city and in the Dublin region?

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