Irish Examiner view: It’s simple, we need more homes

Housing at the PAC

Graham Doyle referred to the impact of covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine on infrastructure delivery in recent years. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

The Oireachtas public accounts committee (PAC) heard yesterday from secretary general of the Department of Housing Graham Doyle and, given the ongoing crisis in housing and accommodation — demand for new homes has more than doubled in the last year — it was hardly surprising that the meeting ranged over several contentious issues.

For instance, it appears completely counterintuitive that €246m of the department’s budget was not spent last year, when the demand for housing was never as great, but Mr Doyle offered an explanation, referring to the shortfall in social housing construction, where 7,433 units were built against a target of 9,000 — a shortfall of 1,567 units.