'Affordable' housing far too expensive, Mary Lou McDonald says

James Cox

Sinn Féin's leader has said new "affordable" housing is far too expensive for most buyers.

It comes as 1,000 people have applied for just 99 new affordable homes at the former site of O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin.

The homes include apartments and houses ranging in price from €248,000 to €473,000, according to the Irish Times.

Buyers are offered a discount of up to 27 per cent under the affordable purchase scheme, depending on income levels.

Mary Lou McDonald said the Government is "out of touch" and unable to meet housing targets.

Ms McDonald said: "O'Devaney Gardens, the land in question... the community in question is an established community over many, many years.

"The land was public land, the land was essentially gifted to a private developer. We've had all sorts of promises around social housing, affordable housing, that has been very, very scant."

She added: "The fact that the Government would regard houses coming in at almost €500,000 as being in any way affordable is just ludicrous. I think it demonstrates just how out of touch, and how uncaring, and how untrustworthy this government is."