Varadkar sets target to build 40,000 homes a year 

In his 30-minute address, the Fine Gael leader said housing is a human right but it means nothing just to say it or to write it into law. Picture: Douglas O’Connor

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says 40,000 new homes a year will be needed to meet a target to deliver 70% homeownership by the end of the decade.

In his keynote speech to mark the conclusion of the Fine Gael Ard Fheis, Mr Varadkar said owning a home is in the DNA of Irish people, but at present, it is a dream out of reach for far too many.