Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has urged the government to double its capital spending on housing to deliver a sufficient supply of social and affordable homes.

He also called on Fianna Fáil to outline their spend on housing in Budget 2019.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "Fianna Fáil have said Budget 2019 must be a housing budget. Yet they have also said that they broadly agree with the government's spending outlined in the summer economic statement. These two statements are not compatible.

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"Fine Gael's Summer Economic Statement commits an additional €800m on public spending or 2019 above existing commitments and demographics. This spend will be divvied up between €300m in tax cuts with the remaining €500m to be divided up across all other government spending commitments.

"Would Fianna Fáil be happy to stand over an additional spend of €100m on housing for 2019? This would only deliver 500 additional homes. An additional €200m would only deliver 1,000 extra homes. Is this what really constitutes a so called housing budget for Fianna Fáil?

He concluded: "Delivering a sufficient supply of social and affordable housing would require government to at least double their capital spend on housing in 2019 from the €1.3bn already committed to at least €2.6bn."

(CM/LM)