Laois TD Brian Stanley says it will take more than 20 years to clear the social housing waiting list if present building levels continue.
The Sinn Fein TD made the claim in the Dail last night.
He was questioning the Housing Minister on the government’s commitment to solving to solving the current ‘crisis’ around the country.
He said: “We see the opposite of affordable housing and instead we have people pushed from the market.
“With ever rising prices, they are being driven from being able to buy their own home or avail of social housing.
“With the local authority housing, and if you take Laois, there is to be 36 built in Portlaoise, 10 in Ballyroan, 6 in Mountrath, 3 in Mountmellick and 20 in Portarlington.
“That is 87 in total in the whole county. The housing waiting list is 1,800 households so at the current rate, it would take 22 or 23 years to clear that.”
He also says that the income threshold to receive a home from a local authority is far too low at 25 thousand euro.
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