Sinn Fein has slammed the government after it was revealed that only just over 650 social housing units were delivered in 2016.

According to the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report for 2016 the majority of the developments, over 70% of the social housing units announced, are being held up by the cumbersome approval, tendering and procurement rules that the Department of Housing imposes on local Councils.

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD said the delivery of social housing was "uninspiring and wholly inadequate".

He said: "This figure is spread across Local Authorities, Associated Housing Bodies, Capital Assistance projects, rapid builds, regeneration projects, Capital Advance and Leasing projects and turnkey projects.

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"Another 21% of the units are on site. However, 34 of the 90 developments described as on site only commenced in the fourth quarter of 2016.

"For example, the figures published in this status report worrying show that 89 of the 353 projects stuck in the bureaucratic approvals process have been at the first stage of the process, the capital appraisals stage, since the third quarter of 2015 or before. Over a quarter of the social housing projects currently under development have been stuck at stage one of the approvals and procurement process for 16 months or more.

"This is not good enough given the level of social housing need in this state. Last November I published a document as to how the approval, tendering and procurement regime for social housing could be speeded up. This would consist of a one stage approval process instead of the current four stage process.

"Sinn Féin also recommend that to enable local authorities and Associated Housing Bodies to deliver social housing programmes as quickly as possible the Department of Housing should provide them with, in principle, funding approval for six years to cover the period of the government's Housing Plan."

(CD/LM)