Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

First, we will use every lever. I accept that housing is the social issue of our time. There is no question about that. We are using every lever but from time to time the Opposition objects to many of the levers that we deploy in respect of housing.
Could I pick the Deputy up on social housing? Between 2020 and 2025, we have delivered 60,000 social homes, through build, acquisition and leasing.
Over 9,000 new-build social homes were delivered in last year. That was the highest annual total in the State's history. We have made huge progress on social housing since 2020 in terms of the numbers of homes that are being built. Close to 23,000 social homes were in design or construction at the end of 2025. We are targeting about 72,000 new social homes by 2030. In addition, we are making progress regarding new starter homes. Some 36,000 houses were built last year. We will build more this year, and we need to build more again in 2027. That is the objective.
If we look at planning permission alone, we can see that the momentum is strong. Permission was granted for 34,000 new homes in the 12 months to the end of quarter 1 of 2026. This was up 8% year on year, with 13,000 commencements for the first five months of this year. That was up 161% year on year. The housing infrastructure fund is going to be significant and will unblock about 86,000 units. Real investment in dwellings was up close to 20% in 2025. Construction employment is up 33%, at 195,000, since 2020. Development land deals are up 55%, with quarter 1 of this year being the best quarter in this regard since 2019 being experienced. Home Building Finance Ireland's loan book has grown by 25% and a €1 billion housing infrastructure investment fund has been announced. The number of first-time buyers mortgage drawdowns in 2025 was 27,500, the highest volume since 2007. In May of this year, first-time buyers accounted for 59% of all mortgage approvals. That is up 44% on 2022. Progress is being made. The issue for us is to get to 50,000 per annum, and to do so on a sustainable basis over a ten-year period in order to meet population growth and demand.
Homelessness is a far more complex issue now than it was four or five years ago. There are many factors in homelessness.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15