Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a project developing in Cork on the Boherboy Road, from which the Deputy will get a strong sense of what that affordability is in terms of the range of prices, which are really affordable.

The Government is ten months in office. Without question, it has taken a significant interventionist approach in the provision of housing, both social and affordable, along with the necessary accompanying infrastructure to deal with it. The preference is direct build. The Minister made announcements and set targets around budget time. However, Covid impacted on these because we have lost so much time through restrictions while construction was closed down for three to four months. The target at the commencement of the year, prior to the Covid restrictions, was 12,750 social homes, of which 9,500 will be direct build. Leasing will be a small part of that.

There has been a 36% reduction in family homelessness, for example, which does not get mentioned in the debate here.

That is because of direct intervention in the market. There has been a 19% overall reduction in homelessness. Progress has been made but we need to make a hell of a lot more.

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