Housing Minister says it would be 'crazy' to disband the Land Development Agency

Eva Osborne

The Housing Minister thinks it would be "crazy" to disband the Land Development Agency.

Darragh O'Brien said targets for new homes will be exceeded this year, the only question is by how many.

He also claims more than 33,500 homes will be completed by the end of the year.

Minister O'Brien said the State-sponsored Land Development Agency plays a significant part in this delivery, and proposals from opposition to disband it make no sense.

O'Brien said what Sinn Féin has said about the Land Development Agency concerns him, as it took "two years to get the legislation through to get the agency up and running".

"They are actually delivering on the ground. I think it would actually be crazy to be honest to follow either of the two proposals to shut down the Land Development Agency and to set up this new state building agency, like how long would that take?" he said.