The Housing Minister has accused Sinn Féin of “picking figures from the sky because they sound good” after the party criticised yesterday’s budget.

The Government has described the €5.2bn set aside for the Department of Housing yesterday as the largest housing budget in the history of the State.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning however, the Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the headline figures were “very eye-catching” but the housing strategy itself was “cat.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said the package included a “paltry” extra €110m for affordable housing and a “measly” extra 500 affordable homes on top of what had already been promised.

Later in the show, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said Sinn Féin was attempting to “misrepresent very clearly what is being put forward.”

“The target I have set for next year of 12,750 social homes is the highest target ever set in the history of the State with 9,500 actual builds – again the highest target ever set – which we will hit and which is funded,” he said.

Sinn Fein TD Eoin Ó Broin speaking to the media on the plinth at Leinster House. Picture by: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

He said has expects to deliver between 6,00 to 7,000 social homes this year despite the coronavirus pandemic – and said Sinn Féin’s plan to build 20,000 next year is not deliverable.

“Eoin Ó Broin and Sinn Féin set a target for next year of 20,000,” he said. “There is not even planning permissions for that.

“What he is doing is picking figures from the sky because they sound good. What we are doing as a Government is outing forward a really achievable target but in fairness, a very ambitious target.”

Renters

He also rejected Deputy McDonald’s claim that there was “nothing for renters” in the budget.

“What we are going to do next year is, for the first time in the history of the State, bring forward affordable rental,” he said. “Actually have people in affordable rental units – 400 we are targeting for next year.

“Also, what Mary Lou and Sinn Féin forget to tell people is that the Government is already supporting thousands of renters through the HAP. €558m last year for 59,000 existing tenancies that the state and taxpayers are supporting.”

Housing budget

He said his department would spend €3.3bn on housing next year.

“All of that is there in black and white but Sinn Féin won’t tell you that because it doesn’t suit their narrative,” he said.

“So, what I am interested in is actually delivering permanent housing for people, which this Government is going to do through the most ambitious and largest building programme the State has seen and this will form a multi-annual plan for State building and we will see this delivered.”

Real and ambitious

Minister O’Brien said the plan is “realist and is ambitious even if there are those who try to undermine it from the very get go.”

“This is a good budget and anyone that says it isn’t on the housing side of things is actually being disingenuous and they are saying that for other reasons,” he said. “That is fine

“What Government is interested in doing is actually delivering on this to tackle homelessness. The most important people are those people and children who are homeless right now.

“That is a massive priority for me in this Government and that is something we are going to be focusing on every single day of the next year to achieve.”

He said the budget includes €280m for projects with homeless charities.