Work is not yet concluded on the Government’s new housing targets with no timeframe available as to when they will be completed, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has said.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said in recent days he wanted new housing targets set before going to the polls, along with the passage of the Finance Bill, which brings in tax cuts announced in the Budget.
Mr O’Brien said the Government was looking at in the range of 50,000 plus units per year and it was important that people know “how we’re going to get there”.
The Fianna Fáil TD also indicated that retaining the Help to Buy and the First Home schemes would be a red line issue for his party in any Government formation talks following the general election.
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“I could not see a situation with Fianna Fáil actually agreeing a housing plan that didn’t include significant support for first time buyers, like the Help to Buy grant, like the First Home bridge scheme,” he said, when questioned by reporters in Dublin on Wednesday at an event to mark the publication of Respond’s annual report.
Mr O’Brien said work was still ongoing in relation to the targets and pointed to a recent ESRI report which showed that 35,000 to 53,000 new dwellings will be needed every year based on 12 different projected population growth scenarios.
“It’s not an easy one to land, but I think it’s important that people know how we’re going to get there,” he said.
The Minister said while the Opposition could promise 60,000 to 70,000 new homes being built every year, he knew the “reality” of the work required to deliver 40,000 units per year.
He said he expected housing delivery could touch 40,000 units this year and that social housing and new build targets would be met, with affordable housing targets exceeded.
Mr O’Brien also said he would “love” to continue in his role as housing minister but did not indicate whether holding onto the brief would be a red line issue for Fianna Fáil in any Government negotiations.
“I think it would be premature to talk about that,” he said.
The Minister also said that it hadn’t crossed his mind that the general election could be held on November 29th, the same day the homeless figures for October are expected to be published, and therefore acting as a potential distraction.
Mr O’Brien said if the election was held on that date it would have “nothing to do” with the figures being published and had “not come into consideration”.
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