Housing Ministers confirm to Bacik further housing delivery delays
- Stalling housing targets until Autumn a cop out
Labour leader and housing spokesperson Ivana Bacik has called out the Housing Minister for failing to increase housing targets.
Under questioning from Deputy Bacik during Oral Questions on Housing in the Dáil today, Minister Malcolm Noonan admitted to a further kicking the can on increasing housing targets.
Deputy Bacik said:
“The new Taoiseach announced his ambitious housing target at his party’s Ard Fhéis at the weekend, but this message seems to have fallen on deaf ears in Custom House.
“Minister Noonan confirmed to me today that the revised targets for housing delivery in Ireland will not be published until the autumn of this year. It does beggar belief that the Senior Minister was sitting beside him in the Chamber, but opted not to face the music on this huge issue.
“Call me a cynic, but this strikes me as a ploy to promise plenty and deliver nothing in advance of a General Election.
“It is clear to me that this is all to do with timing. They know fine well that their anaemic housing plans and targets are nowhere near sufficient to meet demand.
“Put simply, this Government is running scared. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael won’t admit that what we need are 50,000 new homes a year starting now. While the new Taoiseach made a commitment for some headlines, his Housing Minister is not prepared to admit this reality until they’re out the local and European election gap.
“We already know that we are simply not delivering enough homes for people. With over 4,000 children living in homelessness, it is shameful that this Government is failing to radically increase and speed up the delivery of homes.
“Many expert reports already published show the need to build at least 50,000 new homes annually. The Labour Party was the first party to highlight the true scale of the need in March 2023. The Government can focus on spin and bluster as much as they want. They are failing to provide the most fundamental need of people.
“The Census shows that our population is due to rise above 5 million people. This figure alone should be enough to give Government the impetus to drive on and increase targets. I have serious concerns about Housing for All, or this Government, being able to provide enough targeted housing on an annual basis.”