Minister for State with Responsibility for Planning and Local Government, Kieran O'Donnell is on a visit to Kildare today
Kildare County Council delivered 242 affordable homes in Kildare last year, according to the Department of Housing.
Speaking on Kildare Today this morning , Minister for State with Responsibility for Planning and Local Government, Kieran O'Donnell said that "it was a start."
Deputy O' Donnell was visiting Kildare on Monday to discuss projects to address vacancy and dereliction.
Newly released figures from the Department of Housing show that the government missed its affordable housing targets by almost 60% across the state last year, with shockingly low delivery in Kildare.
Deputy O'Donnell said that bringing vacant homes on stream is key to addressing the housing crisis.
So far,49 applications have been made to Kildare County Council, to bring Vacant Homes in the county back into use.
Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South Patricia Ryan, commented: "This is shockingly low. It is clear that the government is totally failing to get a grip on the housing crisis.
“There is also growing concern that the cost of these homes is not affordable for many people. Rents for cost rental homes are now hitting as much as 242, leaving them beyond the reach of many working people on ordinary incomes here in Kildare.
“The fact that two and a half years into their term of office and the government has only delivered 242 homes in Kildare and 1,007 homes across the state that could be described as remotely affordable shows that they are just not serious about tackling the affordable housing crisis.
“The government has shown time and time again that it is totally incapable of ending the housing crisis.
"Ordinary people across Kildare left to pay the price for government incompetence and poor planning. Across Kildare people are trapped paying sky high rents, living in cramped accommodation and shut out from homeownership," she added.
Minister of State with Responsibility for Planning and Local Government, Kieran O' Donnell, listen back to the full interview here:
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