The crisis enveloping the Government’s affordable housing plan is underlined by the fact that they delivered just 21 such homes in Galway last year – with just six of those in the city.

On top of that, the next project in the city is the Merlin Woods Affordable housing project – which has now been delayed from 2024 to 2025.

That’s according to Galway West Deputy Mairéad Farrell, speaking as newly released figures from the Department of Housing show that the government missed its affordable housing targets by almost 60% across the state last year.

“The Department of Housing has released figures to show that just 21 affordable homes were delivered in Galway last year – with just six of these homes being delivered within the city and the remaining 15 spread across the rest of the county,” she said.

“All of these homes have been provided through the First Home Scheme further highlighting the government’s lack of initiative when it comes to delivering affordable housing in Galway and an over reliance on the private market to make up for the government’s own shortfalls” she added.

And the Sinn Féin TD claimed there was also growing concern that the cost of these homes was not affordable for many people – and with no cost rental homes being provided, people on ordinary incomes are being left to pay ever increasing market rents.

“The fact that two and a half years into their term of office and the Government has only delivered 21 homes in Galway and 1,007 homes across the state that could be described as remotely affordable shows that they are just not serious about tackling the affordable housing crisis,” she said.

“Ordinary people across Galway are left to pay the price for government incompetence and poor planning. Across Galway people are trapped paying sky-high rents, living in cramped accommodation and shut out from homeownership,” she added.

(Image: The new Merlin Woods development will include 85 affordable homes).