Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know the Deputy has a close relationship with that particular publication. I cannot say I read the article. My Department engaged the ESRI to undertake independent research into structural housing demand in Ireland right up to 2040. The findings of the ESRI on structural housing demand at county level were published last December so I am familiar with that. Based on that research and factoring in existing demand together with future projected demand, we know the State will probably require an average of 33,000 new housing units per annum and we have fed this into our housing needs demand assessment, which includes every local authority. While there has been a significant fourfold increase in output since the lows of 2013, some of this ground has been lost due to the effects of the pandemic and we all know that. As I said earlier in response to Deputy O'Callaghan, we estimate that housing completions will be between 18,000 and 20,000 this year. We hope to make up lost ground through some activation measures. Last year, the sector performed better than was originally projected.

To answer the Deputy's question about when we will reach that number, in the coming weeks, we will produce our new housing policy entitled housing for All. This will have targets. I neglected to tell Deputy O'Callaghan about that. The plan will set out a pathway to the sustainable supply we need at a price people can afford with appropriate housing options for the most vulnerable, including the areas around social, public housing, cost rental, affordable purchase and private housing supply, which we also need in this country. I will outline the steps in the ladder to get to those figures of 33,000 in the housing for all plan.

It is still being worked on but I know when it is published the Deputy will have intense interest in it. We can debate it in detail at that stage.

See this speech in context