The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy says there are currently 3,660 new social homes under construction.

On Wednesday, he confirmed the Government has approved an extra €100m for housing and homelessness for 2017.

This brings the funding being provided this year for housing to €1.4bn.

It will support the delivery of new homes, family hubs and emergency accommodation.

Of the €100m, €92m is being provided for the local authority capital programme and €8m to deliver homes under the National Regeneration Programme.

An updated status list of social housing construction shows there are now almost 12,300 new social homes being advanced by local authorities and approved housing bodies across the country.

That includes those that are on site, in planning and those completed since 2016.

Minister Murphy says: "There are 3,660 new homes now under construction, on top of those already built since Rebuilding Ireland was launched, with more starting on site in early 2018.

"Each of these homes is, or will soon be, a high quality social home, with good design and sustainable communities, as central priorities in their design and location".

"This is the first social housing construction status report that I have published since we announced that the target for delivery of social homes under Rebuilding Ireland has increased to 50,000, from the original target of 47,000.

"Funding of €6bn is now place to support this delivery", he adds.