Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has been urged to clarify a target to deliver 40,000 new homes.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin highlighted a memo that was provided to the cabinet housing sub-committee the Tánaiste sits on outlines how the government will not deliver 33,000 new homes per year during its lifetime.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "The Tánaiste needs to outline where he is pulling his 40,000 new homes a year target from.

"Given that he sits on the cabinet sub-committee on housing, you would presume he read the memo, which starkly stated that, based on current trends, this government will not meet its 33,000 homes on average per year target.

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"The memo breaks the 33,000 homes target into 11,800 new private homes, 6,500 rental properties, 4,100 affordable houses and 10,300 social housing units per year.

"The memo also warns about the impact of demand-led schemes, such as Help to Buy, on house price inflation and references the severe affordability challenges in terms of rental costs and house prices.

"Either the Tánaiste is inflating the targets in a cynical election ploy or he isn't paying attention at cabinet.

"Either way, it is deeply unfair to make grand promises that have no basis in fact when thousands of people are struggling to access housing.

"It has to be asked if the Tánaiste knew that his 40,000 a year target was undeliverable when he made his speech at the weekend?

"If so, he has posed some serious further questions about Fine Gael's credibility on housing."