The government has been accused of using "dodgy data" over the number of real social homes throughout Ireland owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHBs).

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD asked Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy how many real social homes were owned by local authorities and AHBs each year from 2010 to 2017.

However, all of the information was not available.

Mr Ó Broin described the situation as "deeply shocking".

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He said: "If the government is planning to meet the social housing needs of those on housing waiting lists by 2021, surely it must know how many units are currently in stock and whether the number of units is increasing.

"If we want to ensure that the housing needs of the 99,000 households on the waiting lists are really being met, the Department of Housing must publish on a yearly basis the total stock of real social housing owned by councils and approved housing bodies so we can measure whether progress is actually being made.

"The PQ response from the Minister was extremely disappointing. Unfortunately, this government is now developing a reputation for either not having up to date figures or using dodgy data to hide their policy delivery short-comings."

(CD/MH)