Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, I have been to Clare a number of times. The housing team in Clare are doing a very good job. Some homes are delivered directly by the local authority and some through approved housing bodies, and a combination of repair and lease is also bringing older buildings back into use. The years 2020 and 2021 were constrained due to the construction shutdowns during Covid, which seems like the dark, distant past at this stage. Since then, Clare County Council has delivered 595 new homes up to the end of 2023, and that is on build only. On top of that, it has delivered 177 on acquisitions and 120 on leases. This year will have strong delivery. I know the Deputy is a strong advocate of social housing in County Clare. Based on my projections and preparations for answering her today, we will exceed the target and set new targets. What has helped with the local authorities is that we have been able to set those targets on a multi-annual basis so they have been able to plan for it. I have been very impressed by the work that Clare has done, coming from a very low base to a high level of delivery.

See this speech in context