Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been accused of being "smug" as he defended the Government’s social and affordable housing delivery in the Dáil.
Figures published by the Department of Housing on Monday show that the coalition missed its social housing targets for 2022.
In total, 10,263 social homes were delivered in 2022. This included 7,433 new-build social homes and 1,757 affordable homes delivered.
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The target for affordable homes was 4,100, meaning that just 43 per cent of the target was ultimately delivered. The target for newly built social homes was initially 9,000 but was later revised down to 8,000.
Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Varadkar argued that the numbers showed that the Government had made "real progress."
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that the housing crisis was "getting worse and not better" as she criticised the Government’s housing policy.
She said: "Your Government has delivered just a fraction of those targets in 2022. You have missed targets, for both social and affordable new builds.
"Frankly, this news comes as no surprise given that we have learned that €1.5 billion of the Department of Housing’s capital budget went underspent between 2020 and 2022.
"Upon taking office with setting targets, you set high expectations that substantial progress on housing will be made swiftly.
"Since then, we've seen the same old stale policies repackaged and spun again and again.
"The first sentence of a press release goes so far as to welcome what is in fact a failure of delivery and a failure to meet targets."
Mr Varadkar defended the figures and instead decided to take aim at the Labour Party and their time in Government between 2011 and 2016.
He said: "The key target was to build more new homes of different types in Ireland last year, and we built roughly 30,000 new homes in Ireland last year exceeding our targets.
"Do you know perhaps how many social homes were built the last time there was a Labour minister for housing?
"They’re shouting me down because they’re terrified that the media might report what I’m saying. They’re terrified that potential voters may hear the facts.
"The last time there was a Labour Housing Minister in this country, there were 400 social homes built in the state. By the time Eoghan Murphy had finished his role we were up to around 5,000."
The remark elicited a furious response by Ms Bacik, who accused the Taoiseach of reaching a "new low" with his attempt at "political point scoring".
She said: "It's all very well smirking and being smug and self-congratulatory, that's not going to help the families approaching me, approaching our public representatives from government parties and opposition parties who have nowhere to tell people to go because there are no homes available in our communities.
"No affordable homes. No homes to rent. No homes for sale. That is a failure of your Government.
"It's a testament to the failed policies of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael."
Mr Varadkar, meanwhile, said that Labour "can’t have it both ways" and should not be allowed to criticise the Government if they cannot take criticism about their own record.
He added: "I think that's very, very disappointing, but it is part of Labour's crisis of confidence. You've lost confidence in yourselves.
"You don't even know whether to be proud or ashamed of your last period in Government."
The Taoiseach argued that the social housing output last year was the highest level since 1975.
He added: "That is a huge achievement and one that we intend to build on."
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Taoiseach of being in a "state of denial".
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