Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The truth of the matter is the vast majority of what is in the report has not only not been initiated by the Government but is at radical variance with it. I will deal with two matters. When the Government was developing the targets for its current plan, it deliberately excluded pent-up demand. When the ESRI undertook its survey to inform the Government's plan, it was not allowed to look at pent-up demand. That is the deficit. Right now, the ESRI is undertaking a similar study. Pent-up demand is not included in that. Will the Minister instruct the ESRI to include unmet pent-up demand in order that we have accurate data to underpin that study?

Second, the commission is recommending that 20% of all housing stock be social and affordable. Does the Minister agree with that? Is it something the Government will support so that when we get its new target, whenever it will be in the autumn, it will also include a dramatic increase in the delivery of social and affordable homes? It is clear from this report that not only is the commission saying the Government is not delivering enough homes, its delivery of social and affordable homes is nowhere near what is required to meet need.

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