Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On the subject of housing, it is easy to feel like a broken record in this Chamber from time to time. We in the Labour Party have been repeating the same mantra, that the Government needs to build more houses and it needs to raise its targets for housing because they are too low.

Yesterday I pointed out the mystery of the missing billions with the absence of any indication as to where the Land Development Agency or the lame duck agency is to get the necessary funding to be able to deliver the housing that is so badly needed.

Today I want to raise the issue of targets that are set to low. We have called for more ambitious targets to be set by the Government. Today, if more evidence were needed, it is clear from the report that Dr. Ronan Lyons from Trinity College is going to be pointing out at a conference of Engineers Ireland that the Government must double the target of 33,000 new homes per year. Dr. Lyons says 74,000 new homes per year are needed, based on demographic demand.

We also hear from Simon Communities about an abject shortage of properties for those on housing assistance payment, HAP. When will we see the necessary revision of the targets the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is now saying are under review and how will we solve the mystery of the missing billions?

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