Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne, has said that the recent report from the Housing Agency, which showed that almost 40,000 new homes will be needed in Dublin over the next four years, underlines the need for action to address the housing crisis.

"This report from the Housing Agency outlines the scale of the challenge facing the authorities in Dublin in the coming years. Pent up demand for housing in certain areas of the city is leading to significant price rises, while in other areas the lack of social housing is causing serious problems.

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"The Government has taken a number of welcome steps in relation to the housing situation, including announcing a €21 million fund for the construction of local authority housing in Dublin. I have called on the Minister for Housing, Jan O'Sullivan TD, to prioritise the housing shortage in Dublin, which is much more acute than the rest of the country.

"As well as building new homes, it is also important that vacant local authority units are upgraded or improved so they can be used for residential purposes. The Government has allocated €15 million to specifically address this issue, but I believe further funding will be required to bring properties under Dublin City Council's control up to standard.

"There are at least 170 vacant properties in my own constituency, which could be put to good use by families on housing waiting lists."

(CD/JP)