'Absolute disaster' - Government fails to reach 2024 target for social homes by 15 per cent

"The government may attempt to dress up its 2024 figures for social and affordable homes as some sort of success, but yet again we see targets being missed by a considerable distance", said Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.

The TD for Dublin's north west was speaking after figures were released on Wednesday that the Government has fallen short of delivering new build social homes by more than 1,400.

The target for delivering affordable homes was exceeded, however, the target for delivering social homes dropped lower than what was delivered in 2023.

In the Government's Housing for All plan, the target for new builds was set at 9,300, but in figures revealed today it showed the actual number to be 7,871.

Minister for Housing James Browne  said that this outcome had been predicted due to the downturn in private sector building output but said he expects each local authority across Ireland to do "everything possible" to meet the targets for 2025.

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TD Rory Hearne has said this outcome is a "pathetic performance" and an "absolute disaster for the locked-out generation of nurses, teachers and other average income workers trying to find homes so they can start living independent lives."

“The government may attempt to dress up its 2024 figures for social and affordable homes as some sort of success, but yet again we see targets being missed by a considerable distance", he added.

“The figures for direct local authority delivered affordable housing are particularly shocking, with 15 councils seeing no new builds, including Galway city, and Meath and Dublin city just recording a paltry one and 12 homes respectively.

“In 19 local authority areas, including Cork city and Galway city, there were zero cost rental builds.

“This and successive governments led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have repeatedly failed to treat the housing crisis as the emergency that it is.

“The government continues to ignore solutions that could significantly increase direct delivery of affordable homes. This includes using our budget surplus to build housing, as well as sourcing private financing through a State-run Homes for Ireland Savings Account – an innovative scheme proposed by the Social Democrats last week.

“Today’s social housing figures make a mockery of the government’s claims that it is doing everything it can to solve this worsening crisis.”