The Minister’s record to date is one of failure. No amount of spin can change this.
The latest update on the Housing for All plan reveals the Government is rich on promises for the future and exceptionally poor on actual delivery, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan.
“No affordable purchase homes were delivered in 2021. This is an absolute failure on the part of the Government. Incredibly the Housing for All update doesn’t even provide a mention of this.
“In the 2020 general election, Fianna Fáil promised 10,000 affordable homes each year. However, in 2021 not a single affordable purchase home was completed.
“On an International Scale Housing Affordability in Ireland is rated as severely unaffordable. Between 2012 and 2020 house prices grew by a staggering 77%. We have a huge affordability crisis that is being ignored by the Government.
“The Government’s update also fails to mention the number of social homes built in 2021. Instead, the report only provides figures for the number of homes that are currently under construction or are in the pipeline.
“The Housing for All update published today shows the Minister has missed target after target. Crucially, every target in relation to vacancy and dereliction has been missed. More than 90,000 properties are vacant, and the Minister is still sitting on his hands.
“The Minister said he would introduce a new Compulsory Purchase Order programme, for vacant properties, by the end of last year. This hasn’t been done. He said he would ensure that every Local Authority had a full time Vacant Homes Officer. This hasn’t been done. He said he would reform the Fair Deal scheme. This hasn’t been done. He said all Government Departments would make unused properties available for housing. This hasn’t been done.
“The Minister’s record to date is one of failure. No amount of spin can change this.”