Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

The Taoiseach knows well that increasing the funding sources for housing will increase the construction of housing. In fact, he has often said that the reason the Government relies on investment funds is because of a lack of alteratives.

The situation is that there are now 15,418 people living in emergency homeless accommodation. There are 4,675 children growing up without a home. Rents have never been higher, house prices have never been higher and homelessness is at record levels. This is causing incredible stress, hardship and anxiety for families across Ireland. The answer from the Government to this seems to be to inflate figures around affordable housing delivery and to cook the books. All of a sudden, it is counting vacancy grants as an equivalent of new build affordable homes, and this is fooling no one. I ask the Taoiseach again: will he admit that the Government missed its affordable housing targets last year?

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