Just 30 per cent of new-build social homes target met by third quarter of 2025

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Just 30 per cent of the government’s new-build social homes target was met in the first nine months of the year, according to Department of Housing figures.

Data measuring the government’s social and affordable housing delivery for Q3 were published on Monday.

They show that in the three months from July to September, 1,605 new social homes were delivered, comprising 1,330 new-builds, 120 acquisitions and 155 through leasing programmes.

It means that 3,143 new-build social homes have been built so far this year, out of a target of 10,000.

So far this year, 461 social homes had been acquired of a total target of 200, and 425 of a target of 1,540 through leasing programmes.

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said the figures showed the government would miss their social and affordable housing targets in 2025, while Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne accused the government of misleading the public with figures.

The Department of Housing said the number of new-build social homes is 41% higher during the third quarter of this year compared to the same quarter in 2024, when 946 were delivered, and the total was over 48% higher than the same period in 2024 (2,120).

Minister for Housing James Browne said the housing delivery figures were “very encouraging” but said “more must be done”.

“Today’s figures are very encouraging, particularly in relation to social housing new-builds.

“The data reflects the strong momentum with growth accelerating and robust pipelines in place – ensuring more families can access secure, high-quality homes.

“This progress reflects the commitment of local authorities, AHBs and Government to meeting the housing needs of our communities.

“At the same time, I recognise that more must be done. That is why, under our new Housing Action Plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities’, we are significantly scaling up delivery of new social homes built each year to on average 12,000 annually to 2030.

“We are working closely with local authorities to ensure they meet their targets and we will ensure that a laser-like focus will be kept on delivering the new social housing homes we need. This is key to ultimately lowering the number of people living in temporary accommodation and keeping people out of homelessness.

“Our ambitious Housing Action Plan is backed by funding of nearly €20 billion, the largest housing investment in the State’s history.

"This unprecedented funding will help support the delivery of 72,000 new social homes, ensuring thousands of families have access to secure, high-quality housing.”

He said: “Affordable housing delivery has already reached the vast majority of this year’s target.

“This reflects the effective steps this Government is taking to expand home ownership and provide affordable rental options nationwide.

“To sustain this trajectory, our new Starter Homes Programme, a key pillar of the Delivering Homes, Building Communities housing plan will scale up existing successes.

“By providing targeted funding to local authorities and the Land Development Agency, we are ensuring that the right supports are delivered in the right locations, making both affordable purchase and rental a reality for more people.”

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said: “In the first nine months of this year, 3,143 new-build social homes were delivered. This is just 31 per cent of the annual target of 10,000.

“During the same period, 925 cost rental and 563 affordable purchase homes were completed by Councils, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency. That equates to 39% of the cost rental target of 2,350 homes and 24 per cent of the affordable purchase target if 2,100 are delivered.

“It is clear from these figures that the Minister for Housing, James Browne, is asleep at the wheel.

“At the end of his first year in office, he is missing his social and affordable housing targets just like his predecessor.”

Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne said: “During the first nine months of 2025, 3,134 new-build social homes were provided by the State – this figure is nowhere near the 10,000 direct-build social homes that were promised by the end of the year.

“Quarter 3’s affordable housing delivery breaks down as 794 units as part of the First Home Scheme, 760 as a result of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, 205 were affordable purchase homes delivered by Local Authorities, and 302 under the Cost Rental Scheme.

“Not one cost rental home was delivered by Local Authorities – the Land Development Agency and Affordable Housing bodies are shouldering all of the weight of cost rental provision.

“The government is making misleading claims on social and affordable housing delivery – when you drill down through these figures, you see that a substantial proportion of what’s considered affordable housing delivery is not actually the building of affordable homes, but various forms of market subsidies.

“Declaring the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant as affordable housing when there are no affordability requirements attached is particularly egregious – we know that at least a quarter of those grants are taken up by private landlords for rental properties.

“Only one in 10 of these homes is actually delivered by local authorities for affordable purchase, and only one in four is a cost-rental or affordable home delivered by the State, with the remaining 75 per cent being market subsidies.

“The government is cooking the books when it comes to housing provision; what we need is the direct building of social and affordable homes by the state through a state construction company, Local Authorities and AHBs using modular methods of construction.”