Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

They have always helped us when we asked for it. From time to time, though, there are frustrations about the slowness of the process. Undoubtedly, even the Minister is frustrated in that regard and is eager to move the situation on. I acknowledge his commitment to this.

The Minister is present, so I will repeat something that I said last week because I want him to hear it from me directly. I am disappointed by the targets that have been set for the 31 local authorities with the agreement of their chief executives and the Minister. Those targets are not ambitious. I took the time to read the Department's website and some of the Minister's speeches provided thereon. It is an excellent website. The Minister referred to stretching people and being ambitious. The figures before us are the minimum ones. For example, 115 units are to be built in Carlow in 2018. Lest there be ambiguity, these are the figures of the direct social housing build. There are other forms, of course. As I have stated time and again in the Chamber and at the committee, I do not have a hang-up about who builds houses, be it local authorities, approved housing bodies, AHBs, co-operatives, private bodies, public ones or public private partnerships. I do not have a problem with any of those. We want to build new homes that are affordable to rent and purchase. The Minister agrees fully with that.

Consider the figures, though. Cavan's is 41, Clare's is 29, Cork city's is 249 and Cork county's is 235. Kilkenny's is 98, Longford's is 44, Mayo's is 69 and Offaly's is 19. These are the agreed targets for social housing. Undoubtedly, the Minister will say that there are other aspects. Wicklow's figure is 156. All of the areas' figures are listed and have been published in the media and via the Minister's press release.

The social housing construction projects status report for the fourth quarter of 2017 is interesting. Today, The Irish Timespublished a timely article and released figures, which I have checked with the Department. There were 780 social houses built in 2017. I am open to correction.