Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Since the Government took office, rents, house prices and the number of people who are homeless and living in emergency homeless accommodation - almost 12,000 people - have reached record levels. At the same time, almost €1 billion that was allocated to be spent on housing has not been used for the purpose of building social and affordable homes. This year, spending on housing is running 32.5% behind where it is meant to be. When we raised this last year we were told not to worry and that the Government would catch up by the end of the year, but that did not happen. The Government did not catch up. Hundred of millions of euro that should have been spent building social and affordable homes was not spent. Instead, some of these moneys are being handed over to developers who are exempt from paying development levies. What is the Taoiseach doing to ensure that money that has been allocated to be spent on building social and affordable homes will actually be spent for that purpose?

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