The Daily Star Ireland
The Government fell short of its target for new social housing construction last year, delivering more than 1,400 fewer homes than planned under the Housing for All strategy.
Minister for Housing James Browne acknowledged the shortfall, stating that each local authority is now expected to make every effort to hit their 2025 goals. The 2023 goal was to deliver 9,300 newly built social homes, but only 7,871 were completed. When combined with homes acquired or leased, the total number of social housing units delivered was 10,595 — well below the intended 12,930.
Minister Browne attributed the shortfall to a slowdown in private sector construction, though he noted the impact was not as severe as initially feared.
Affordable Housing Target Surpassed, But Disputed
On the positive side, more than 7,100 affordable housing supports were provided in 2024, surpassing the official target of 6,400. However, this claim has sparked criticism from the opposition.
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin strongly criticized the Government’s performance, claiming that the data shared was misleading and masked a deeper failure to meet key targets. He argued that the target for 2,000 affordable purchase units was missed, with only 779 homes actually delivered. He further stated that although the Government claimed 2,400 affordable homes were completed by local councils, approved housing bodies, and the Land Development Agency, the real figure stood at just 2,027.
Additionally, the First Home Scheme reportedly delivered only 1,797 units, falling short of its 2,000-home target.
Ó Broin accused the minister of lacking new ideas and failing to adequately respond to the worsening housing crisis. He emphasized that the Government’s underperformance extends across both the social and affordable housing sectors, which continues to fuel public frustration and political pressure.
