“Not only was the target too low but it was missed,” Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman has said after the Government confirmed it fell short of its own social housing construction goal for 2025.
Figures published today by Housing Minister James Browne show that 9,089 new-build social homes were delivered last year, against a target of 10,000.
In a statement issued by his Department on Thursday, the Fianna Fáil Minister said that 2025 marked a record year for delivery, describing the output as the highest level of new-build social housing since the foundation of the State.
“We are now seeing an unprecedented level of delivery of new-build social homes, with 2025 representing the largest number of new build social homes constructed since the foundation of the State,” Browne said.
“This is serious momentum.
“This reflects the scaling up of local authority building programmes, increased output from Approved Housing Bodies and the acceleration of construction activity across the country.
“But these homes are not just units; they represent security, stability and opportunity for thousands of households.
“While this is a record year, we are driving on. The focus now is on sustaining and expanding this delivery, scaling further and ensuring that more people benefit from access to high-quality, secure homes.
“This is about the dignity of your own door. I will continue to be relentless in doing what needs to be done to make that happen for people.”
According to the Department, the 9,089 homes delivered in 2025 represent an increase of 1,256 units, or 16%, compared with 2024.
However, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin TD said the total amounted to a 10% shortfall on the Government’s stated target.
In a statement released today, the Dublin Mid-West TD said the Minister had informed the Dáil that the 10,000-home target had not been met.
“Today the Minister for Housing James Browne told the Dáil that he missed his new build social housing target last year,” Ó Broin said.
“The target was to deliver 10,000 new build social homes in 2025.
“The Minister informed the Dáil this morning that the target was missed by 10% with 9,089 new build social homes delivered in 2025.
“The 10,000 target was too low to begin with. We need at least 15,000 new build social housing homes every year to reduce waiting lists and homelessness.
“Not only was the target too low but it was missed. At a time of rising homelessness this is utterly unacceptable.
“The consequence of this is that social housing waiting lists and homelessness will continue to rise in 2026 as they did in 2025.
“Housing failure is not inevitable, it is a result of bad decisions by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“It does not have to be this way. With the right policies, and real ambition and vision, we can fix the housing crisis – deliver more social and affordable homes, bring down rents, tackle homelessness and make it possible for people to buy their own homes.
“But this will not happen if the government continues with policies that are not working, policies that are in fact making things worse. The evidence is clear – we need a radical change of direction on housing.”
Browne’s Department said that a number of policy changes were introduced during his first year in office aimed at increasing delivery in the coming years, including a single-stage approval process, the mandated adoption of Employers Requirements for Detailed Design of Quality Housing, the establishment of a Housing Activation Office and the mandated use of standard house layouts in the Design Manual for Quality Housing.
The publication of the figures comes amid continued pressure on the housing system, with social housing waiting lists and monthly homelessness figures remaining at elevated levels in recent years and rising.
The Government has committed to increasing supply across social, affordable and private housing as part of its wider housing strategy, but critics have frequently pointed to the inadequacy of these targets, and the fact that they have been consistently missed.