The government has been slammed over its failure to deliver one single home in Co Offaly.

Sinn Fein described the situation as "abysmal" and confirmed that only six housing units were currently being developed in the area.

The party's spokesperson for Rural Development Carol Nolan hit out after the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government published its Social Housing Construction Stats Report for the third quarter of 2017, which revealed that the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is failing dismally to achieve its targets nationwide.

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She said: "At the end of September this year the number of households on the Housing List in Offaly stood at 1,582 and this number continues to rise.

"I am deeply concerned about the increasing numbers of people seeking emergency accommodation from Offaly County Council whilst at the same time, there is negligible progress in provision.

"At this moment in time there are 180 units at pre-construction phases in Offaly and only six units currently under construction. Even if all of these units were to miraculously materialise in the next six months, they would still only provide housing to 11.8% of the current waiting list.

"This means that with all of the best efforts of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, including Capital Investment and the local response initiatives of many Voluntary housing Associations, the highest outcome we can expect from that collective action is to provide housing for a little more than one in ten households.

"By any standard this is completely unacceptable and can only be seen as a complete failure on behalf of the Government."

(CD/MH)