Harris rules out Mary Lou’s average house price point as he aims to build 40,000 homes [Video]

Close to 40,000 new homes will be delivered this year, surpassing Government targets, Simon Harris has said, writes Craig Hughes.

Under the Coalition’s Housing For All plan, a target of 34,500 new homes for 2024 has been set, after 32,695 units were delivered last year.

The Taoiseach was speaking yesterday at the launch of a Housing For All update at Government Buildings, alongside Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

Mr Harris said the update provides “real grounds for hope”, but acknowledged the Government needs to act faster.

“This year we are likely to be closer to 40,000 homes than 30,000. It will be on the upper end rather than the lower end of that range,” he said at the press conference.

The Government has promised to introduce new housing targets in the summer, with the current goals based on out-of-date data from the 2016 census.

More detail on the types of houses to …