The government is continuing to stall on a special fund to allow Credit Unions to invest in social housing, according to new information obtained in parliament.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English TD said a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) offering up to €750m in funding for Credit Unions would be available for October 2018.

This investment could build roughly 3,750 social homes.

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Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien has hit out at the government at its failure to put the fund in place.

He said: "We have neither seen nor heard of the details regarding the types of units that will be prioritised when building works eventually get going, let alone how it's intended the vehicle will link into the overall Rebuilding Ireland strategy.

"The hands off attitude demonstrated by Government throughout this entire process shows us if we didn't already know before now that it doesn't give a hoot about the ordinary working families desperately in need of support to find a home.

"Fact is, Fine Gael are not remotely serious about attracting outsider finance or making the most of Credit Union money to help build badly needed social housing and we have to ask ourselves why that is," concluded Deputy O'Brien.

(CM/JG)