The Government missed its target on new build social homes last year, with a shortfall of more than 1,400.
Minister for Housing James Browne said he expects each local authority to do everything possible to meet their targets for 2025.
Figures released today show that the target for delivering affordable homes was exceeded.
The data confirms what had been expected – the Government missed its targets on building social homes, with fewer delivered last year than in 2023.
A target of 9,300 new builds was contained in the Government’s Housing for All plan, but the actual number constructed was 7,871.
The overall number of social homes delivered last year, which includes new builds, as well as acquisitions, was 10,595 rather than the target of 12,930.
Minister Browne said this had been predicted due to the downturn in private sector building output, but added it has not been as pronounced as may have been feared.
He also noted that more than 7,100 affordable home supports were delivered in 2024, which exceeded the target of 6,400.
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on housing Eoin Ó Broin described the minister as “out of his depth” and contended he had no new ideas on tackling the housing emergency.
He said the Government did not just fall short badly of its social and affordable housing targets last year, but has issued “deliberately misleading” information “to conceal level of failure.”
The Dublin Mid-West TD, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, zoned in on the Government claim that it exceeded its affordable housing target in 2024.
He said the data actually shows that the target of 2,000 affordable purchase units was missed and only 779 were delivered last year.
The Sinn Féin TD said delivery of affordable homes by local authorities, approved housing bodies and the land development agency was 2,400 but only 2,027 were delivered.
He said the Coalition also failed to meet its first home scheme target – with only 1,797 units delivered instead of the promised 2,000.
Article Source – Govt missed 2024 target on new build social homes – RTE
