Sinn Féin has hit out at the Housing Minister for failing to contact councils in Ireland to find out what lands they have available to build new homes.

Imelda Munster TD slammed Minister Simon Coveney after she revealed 54 acres of council owned land banks for housing are lying barren in Drogheda and throughout Louth, despite 5,000 people waiting to be housed.

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Deputy Munster also accused the government of handing over the housing crisis to private developers.

She said: "The situation as it stands is ludicrous, whereby the council are currently forced to pay €3 million in interest only on the 54 acres of land whilst it lies idle, and that money comes out of the councils own budget for housing maintenance and extensions for people with disabilities.

"Of the almost 54 acres that we have in Louth, we have 20.4 acres in Drogheda. This land needs to be utilised with the rolling of a government funded social housing building programme in order to deal with the housing crisis which is only set to worsen by government inaction."

(CD/MH)