The number of new homes built in Ireland last year increased by 25% according to the latest figures from the CSO.
The figures show that 18,072 new dwellings were completed last year - up from 14,407 the year before.
Six out of ten of the new builds were scheme dwellings - the highest number since the CSO began recording the figures.
More than a quarter were single builds, while 13% were apartments.
Six out of ten of the new builds were located in Dublin and the Mid-East.
"Grim reading"
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on housing Eoin Ó Broin said the figures "make for grim reading" and warned that the Government is 43% behind its annual Rebuilding Ireland target.
The Government has pledged to completed 25,000 new homes a year under the scheme.
Deputy Ó Broin said it is hard to see how the target will be met by 2021 and said the figures "confirm beyond doubt" that the Government's strategy is not working.
"While any increase is welcome the Government is missing its own target by a massive 43%," he said.
"In order for Government to meet this key housing commitment by 2021, total output of houses and apartments would have to increase to an average of 35,868 completions a year in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
"That is an increase in 130%. Give that the latest increase was just 25% on 2017 it is hard to see how this key Rebuilding Ireland commitment can be met."
Confirmed. More new homes built in 2018 than any other year this decade. We’ll build more again in 2019. Pleased to see my own constituency of D15 lead the way on new builds with 800 new homes https://t.co/wKKCiFFTbz
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) February 7, 2019
He accused the Government of attempting to spin the "significant shortfall" as something that represents good news.
"It does nothing of the sort," he said.
"Rather it confirms once again that Rebuilding Ireland isn’t working and is failing to meet its own targets.
"Until the Government accepts this and changes course the housing crisis will continue.”
.@CSOIreland New Dwelling Completion figures for 2018 make for grim reading. Govt are 43% behind @RebuildingIRL target of 25k units a year. Hard to see how this key commitment will be met by 2021. Further evidence that Govt plan isn’t working. pic.twitter.com/C9KlqeQQQ8
— Eoin Ó Broin (@EOBroin) February 7, 2019
In a statement, the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said the Government's Rebuilding Ireland programme is "substantially increasing the supply of new homes and we need to drive new builds higher again in 2019."
"We know that this increase in supply is contributing to the moderation in the growth in house prices," he said.
"In the meantime we will continue to make every effort to protect people in housing insecurity, to move people out of emergency accommodation and to help people who are paying too high a rent or who are unable to afford to buy a home.
"But increasing supply remains at the root of solving all of these problems, and that is exactly what Rebuilding Ireland is doing."
Supply
He said the CSO figure does not include more than 2,500 homes were brought out of long term vacancy and nearly 800 dwellings in unfinished housing developments that have now been completed.
He said the number of new homes actually increased by nearly 21,500.
