Ballpark house-building targets for coming years already published, says Martin

By David Young and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA

Ballpark house-building targets for the coming years are already in the public domain, Micheál Martin has insisted.

The Tánaiste was commenting on the prospect of the Government setting new targets for the next five years ahead of the general election being called.

That is a move Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has been pressing for in recent weeks.

Amid suggestions Fianna Fáil is resistant to the idea, party leader Mr Martin was asked about the issue ahead of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting in Dublin.

“Well, we’ve already published ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) data in respect of the housing potential targets for the next number of years,” he told reporters.

“There was a range of scenarios identified by the ESRI and then you have the National Planning Framework as well, which dovetails with your housing targets for the future.

“So I think those two go hand-in-hand, but I think the ballpark figures are out there, they’re published.

“Different political parties will have different sort of ideas around setting targets, both opposition and perhaps in government, but we will continue to work on those issues.”

The Tánaiste was also asked whether the fallout from recent revelations around the high costs of a bike shed at Leinster House and a security hut near Government Buildings would harm the coalition parties in the upcoming election.

He said the public wanted to see value for money when it comes to state spending.

Politicians and members of the public expressed outrage after it was revealed that work to build the shed on the grounds of Leinster House cost €336,000, while the security building near Government Buildings cost €1.4 million.

“I’ve been on the doorstep over the last number of days, I think housing is the number one issue it seems to me,” said Mr Martin.

“That’s a constant and a consistent one across the board, and then the infrastructure, the need to improve public transport. I think cost of living is there, housing, health, and obviously people want value for money, and people want expenditure allocated to the right projects, and also want to make sure that we get value for money in respect of those projects.”

On the bike shed controversy, he added: “The cost of that was absolutely excessive and ridiculous and shouldn’t have happened – that’s why we have the comptroller and auditor general. I think there has to be a focus on value for money.”

Mr Martin said he did not think concerns over rising costs would lead to the abandonment of major planned infrastructure projects, such as Dublin’s Metrolink, adding “scrutiny” of spending was a good thing, but it could not lead to “paralysis” in terms of consideration of projects.