Minister claims government succeeding in housing efforts

A Cabinet minister has stated that the Government is "winning" the battle on housing, despite criticism from opposition parties. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke defended the Government's housing plan during an interview, claiming they met targets in 2022 and 2023. However, the Central Bank suggests the Government will miss its housing targets significantly for the next three years. Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell labeled Burke's comments as "out of touch," asserting that the Government is losing the battle on housing. Housing Minister James Browne acknowledged the situation is challenging but mentioned it is too early to predict final figures for the year. He did not confirm whether the Central Bank's projections would be accurate. Browne pointed out a "collapse" in apartment building in Dublin as a major issue affecting overall housing delivery. He noted that housing outside Dublin is generally on target. He emphasized the need for urgent changes to streamline the building process and allow for more apartment construction. This includes moving forward with the Planning and Development Act to simplify objections and judicial reviews. When asked about potential tax breaks for developers, Browne stated that all options should be considered, but clarified that they would not return to past schemes that were deemed expensive.