Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The facts speak for themselves. The CSO has cut right through the Minister's bluster and spin. The CSO has told us they are not their figures or what they are presenting. The CSO has told us in plain English this Government of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael has delivered less housing in the first nine months of this year than in the same period last year. That is a simple fact. The Minister tells us housing is a priority. He has told the House over and over again the housing target and output would be close to 40,000 units. That is not achievable. Will the Minister continue to live in the delusional state of expecting to deliver something like 19,000 homes in the next 12 weeks? It is not credible and everybody knows it is not credible.

Even if he delivered on those abysmally low targets, it is not enough. We have told him over and over again these targets have to be increased yet he will not provide new targets. We have shown him in our plan, which brings home ownership to an affordable level, how it can be done. That is why house prices increased by 10%, why we have record rents and why the Minister is allowing vulture funds to run amok. They bought 6,200 houses last year in the city of Dublin. Does the Minister believe in the delusion he has presented up until now of 40,000 units being delivered this year, or does he accept he has delivered fewer houses so far this year than last year?

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