Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Níl aon dabht ann ach gurb í an ghéarchéim is mó atá againn sa tír seo ná an easpa tithíochta. Níl a dhóthain tithe againn. Caithfimid gach aon dícheall a dhéanamh chun i bhfad níos mó tithe a chruthú chomh tapa agus is féidir linn. Housing is the number one social priority in this country. It goes to the heart of cohesion in this country, and it is the Government's priority, as it was during the lifetime of the previous Government. During the lifetime of the previous Government, from about 2020 onwards, close to 130,000 homes were built. We exceeded our targets in Housing for All in 2022 and 2023 significantly by more than 7,400. In 2024 the target was 33,000 in Housing for All and we did not meet that target.

In addition, there were estimates. Deutsche Bank predicted in excess of 40,000 houses. EY-Euroconstruct predicted 36,000 houses last July and Cairn Homes also predicted close to 40,000 houses. My commentary then was a genuine belief that we were heading for the high 30,000s. It was a genuine belief. There was no attempt to mislead anybody in that regard. I have to make that point. These were external groupings making estimates regarding the prospects for a high figure in 2024.

Of course, we know that because of the initiative we took in terms of waiving development levies and so on, commencements were dramatically increased over the last year and a half in respect of that. The bottom line as far as I am concerned is that I am very disappointed with the outturn for 2024. We got the figure wrong in terms of what we thought might happen. The target was 33,000. We thought it would be much higher than that. I regret that. However, what it means is that we have to fundamentally increase that figure. All parties in the general election had figures around 50,000 per year. The ESRI is suggesting that was the average and that we need to get to 60,000 by 2030. The issue, though, is how we get the figures to that 50,000 per year.

We need a fundamental shift, not just within the Government but in the Oireachtas more generally, in our approach and our attitude to private sector investment in housing. That is needed because, whether we like it or not and whether it is palatable or not, a lot of what has happened has disincentivised private investment in housing. The State is the biggest investor. We allocated €6 billion for 2025, the highest ever capital allocation to housing. The State will not be able to do it all on its own in terms of the 50,000 that people identify as our need. It may be even higher than that. Therefore, if everybody wants to be honest about figures, the issue of how we get there is the core question. When we exceeded targets in 2022 and 2023, the response from the Opposition was that the targets were too low.

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