Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for his remarks. When the housing need and demand assessment, HNDA, is submitted by local authorities, it will be looked at forensically, because it will be the guide rails in terms of where demand will be and construction will take place over the coming years.

The Deputy has, quite rightly, pointed to what citizens need to see. They need to see developments going on around them, with the prospect of and hope to have keys to their new home in their hand in order that they can have a secure tenancy for their family. The Government is working night and day and is focused on that and ensuring that people can see the 31,000 commencements that are now ongoing throughout the country. That means the skillsets of labourers, bricklayers and diggers are on site delivering those houses.

A key priority for Government is ensuring the increased supply of social and affordable homes throughout Dublin. This year, we will deliver more than 2,000 new-build social homes throughout the Dublin local authorities. Affordable housing delivery is already happening and the first affordable purchase homes will be made available shortly in Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council. We have already delivered cost rental homes at 40% below market rates in Fingal in Dublin.

Importantly, affordable housing measures and schemes are designed to assist purchasers in meeting the costs of newly-constructed homes and increasing the overall housing supply. By significantly increasing supply we will help temper inflationary pressures on the wider housing market to benefit all home purchasers. We are working as hard as we can, in line with the sites Deputy McAuliffe pointed out, to ensure they are being realised for all our citizens.

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