Ireland will need to spend 20bn to achieve 50,000-unit annual housing target, Taoiseach says

Taoiseach Mr. Martin defended the Government's exempted development initiative aimed at addressing Ireland's housing crisis. He rejected criticisms labeling the initiative as inadequate, stating that solution-oriented politics are essential for housing delivery. He emphasized the urgent need to increase housing production from 30,000 to 50,000 units each year to match the population growth. While acknowledging that exempted developments could contribute to solutions, he highlighted the necessity of substantial public and private sector investments to fulfill the aggressive housing targets.

The real issue will be both increased public expenditure and how we bring increased private sector investment into the apartment area.

Housing is the number one issue facing the country - on that there is no doubt. I have said that repeatedly.

Read at Irish Independent