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

Before I respond, I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, on his appointment. I note that this is, I think, the third Minister of State with responsibility for planning in the lifetime of this Government. It is perhaps not such a positive sign with such a big planning Bill going through Committee Stage currently to see this changeover, but I wish the Minister of State well personally.

I express my disappointment at the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan's announcement - I think I heard it right - that it will be this autumn before we see those revised targets published. That is extraordinary. The Government has accepted for some time now that the existing targets are simply too low. To tell us now that the revised targets will not be published until this autumn shows the lack of ambition and urgency in the Government. We know that the target of 33,000, first of all, is unlikely to be reached, with housing output likely to fall this year and the existing target being at risk, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, but we also know the target itself is way too low. The Housing Commission says Ireland may need up to 62,000 homes per year, and the incoming Taoiseach announced that 50,000 homes per year would be needed for the next five years.

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