Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Speaking on "Morning Ireland" last Thursday, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, conceded that the Government will not meet its housing targets for this year. He stated:

In relation to direct social housing building, the target for 2022 is 9,000. ... We do not believe at this juncture that 9,000 will be met.

I take it that he stands over that comment. His remarks at least shed some reality, in contrast with the assertions made by the Taoiseach and the housing Minister that the Government is on track and its housing policies are working.

Despite the Taoiseach's repeated refrain that housing is the single biggest social issue facing the Government, what we see is failure to plan and failure to deliver. The Government promised 9,000 social homes this year. By the end of June, it had delivered only 1,765. It promised 4,100 affordable homes this year. It has delivered only 925 to date. This means the Government will miss its social and affordable housing targets for the third year in a row. Those are targets, by the way, that do not come close to meeting the level of housing need in society. In addition, the Government refused to introduce a ban on rent increases. These are rents that are crippling tenants, are at record levels and are continuing to rise. Meanwhile, homelessness is at an historic high. Even with the ban on evictions, it is likely to rise. Child homelessness has increased by a staggering 51% since April 2021. It beggars belief that any member of the Government could claim its housing policies are working. Does the Minister, Deputy McGrath, accept not alone that the Government is missing its targets but, in fact, that its entire approach to housing has failed?

To make matters worse, we hear the Government is €2 billion behind in its annual housing spending in its capital spend. That is not likely to change in the next six weeks. That means €2 billion sitting there while people watch housing prices go through the roof and know they have no chance of affording their own homes, while young mothers and fathers and their children squeeze into the box rooms of their own parents' homes and while families languish for years and years on council housing waiting lists. People caught up in the never-ending housing crisis will be shocked and angered by this. It highlights again that the Government is incapable of bringing the required urgency to deliver the homes that are needed.

We now see young people voting with their feet when it comes to housing. Young people throughout Ireland are leaving because they cannot put a secure, affordable roof over their heads. It is now time to deliver. Conas go bhfuil an Rialtas ag tarraingt na gcos le €2 billiún de chaiteachas tithíochta i lár géarchéime tithíochta nach bhfacthas riamh roimhe? Seo géarchéim ina bhfuil ár ndaoine óga ag fágáil na tíre i gcomhair seans le saol níos fearr a bheith acu thar lear.

The Minister is in charge of public expenditure. He holds the purse strings. How is sitting on €2 billion for housing happening when so many people are in desperate and unprecedented housing need? How can the Government claim it is doing everything it can to end the housing crisis, while sitting on this huge sum of money? It is failure to plan, failure to deliver and, by the Minister's own acceptance and admissions, failure to meet what are at best low-level targets. Fail, fail, fail.

See this speech in context