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

The Government is a year in office. It has been hit by the Covid pandemic, which resulted in 8,000 or 9,000, if not 10,000, houses not being built due to the two lockdowns. That has set us back somewhat but we are going to try to catch up as quickly as we possibly can. Anyone looking at the figures would have to come back with the conclusion that the focus is on direct builds, both social and affordable, and the State getting involved in affordable housing. Through the Land Development Agency, we are utilising State lands to get far greater amounts of housing delivered. The issue is about housing supply and getting far more houses built in the coming years than we have been building in the last number of years. Last year, the number was close to 20,000 and it would have been much higher but for Covid. This year, we had a target of 25,000 but Covid hit us again. We are hoping to get close to 18,000 and if we can exceed that, all the better. From then on, in the housing for all strategy, for which additional capital funding will be provided, the focus, as has always been the case as far as I am concerned, will be on direct builds and affordable housing.

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