Fianna Fáil is calling for additional resources to be put into the Government's housing capital budget.

The party made the call after the Housing Minister's plan, which allegedly includes the development of 45,000 new social housing units by 2021, was leaked to the media.

Spokesperson on Housing, Barry Cowen, said real resources have to be put behind government efforts to tackle the housing crisis to demonstrate that this is not just the latest in a long line of "ambitious announcements".

He said: "Fianna Fáil has been calling for an ambitious social housing target combined with clear measures to boost private housing development for a number of years. Our manifesto set out a clear route to achieve 45,000 social housing units as part of 150,000 homes across the state. It also set out new ideas to help Generation Rent and new affordable rent schemes. According to the latest FOI material there are some 135,000 households on the social housing waiting list. Now we need real resources to get to grips with this crisis.

-- Advertisement --

"I am concerned that once again, we are slipping into the territory where announcing action is more important that taking action. The last government launched its housing plan more times than the number of social housing units homes they built in my own constituency of Offaly where over 2,000 families are on the waiting list.

"In the upcoming budget Fianna Fáil will be pressing for substantial additional resources to be put into the housing capital budget, supports for first time buyers and directing the Strategic Investment Fund to purchase homes."

Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan said the Minister also needs to make clear that the new units will be publicly owned or in the not-for-profit sector.

She said: "The Labour Party would also have serious concerns about the proposal to send social housing plans straight to An Bord Pleanala.

"It is not the local element of the Part 8 planning process that causes the unacceptable delay in bringing funds allocated for social housing to fruition (at most 12 weeks) and should not be used as an excuse to erode local democracy.

"Minister Coveney has also publicly stated that he intends to facilitate large private housing developments going straight to the Bord. This is also alarming in view of all we have learned from tribunals about the need to a transparent planning process.

"There are provisions in the strategy that I would welcome such as those that build on the €4b worth of measures already provided for in the capital plan announced last year."

(CD/LM)