No new social homes were built in Cork City or County during the first three months of this year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Housing. This includes homes built by affordable housing bodies or those acquired through Part V planning rules.
Across Ireland, a total of 158 new social homes were built in the first quarter. Including new builds, acquisitions, and leases, 720 social homes were delivered.
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, criticized the slow pace of social housing delivery. He highlighted the heavy reliance on private rental accommodation through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). In Cork City and County, 170 HAP tenancies and 34 RAS tenancies were added in the first quarter.
Gould described the lack of new social homes as a failure of government policy.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien defended the government’s efforts, stating that significant progress in social housing delivery typically occurs in the last quarter of the year. He assured that the government would meet its annual target of 12,930 social housing units, despite falling short of last year’s target.