Housing divide widening under this Government

• Abject failure to meet housing targets criticised

Labour leader and housing spokesperson Ivana Bacik said that the Government appear to have given up on addressing the root causes of the housing crisis.

Deputy Bacik said:

“This Government has utterly sold out the delivery of housing in Ireland to the private sector. It is a fundamental right for every person to have a safe and secure roof over their head. But this Government is failing to deliver affordable and social housing options.

“In the first three months of 2024, we now know that only 158 new social homes were built. The target of new social homes for 2024 is 9,300 – clearly a much higher figure. This Government is clearly going to fail abjectly in delivering on its housing commitments.

“The delivery of new homes remains far too slow. Indeed, the Housing Commission estimates a housing deficit ranging from 212,500 to 256,000 homes as it stands.

“The Labour Party continues to call for State investment and intervention in the housing market and for greater ambition and urgency from Government in ramping up the delivery of more affordable and social homes.

“This housing crisis has been created by years of failure by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to implement policies that would see increased supply of new homes. This is the crisis that they have created and that is being allowed to spiral.”