Affordable housing - Houses for profit unfair on others

EVEN though the completion of new houses and apartments are up 24% on the same period of last year, the Government has not been meeting its promise to make more affordable housing available to young Irish couples.

One-fifth of new houses were supposed to be in the affordable housing bracket, but only 2,900 out of the 81,000 completed last year were in that category.

Builders have been allowed to offset their obligation by offering local councils money and land in lieu of providing affordable houses.