TWELEVE new social housing units were officially opened at the weekend, turning a once-derelict site in Carlow town centre to a much-needed home.

Mary Butler said that investors will have to help plug the gap in funding as government is under further pressure to ramp up the number of new builds.

HRI and the Land Development Agency (LDA) are in talks about the transfer of part of the site so that it can be used to build social and affordable housing, The Irish Times reported on Tuesday.

The Fine Gael leader also said that house prices would reduce when home building reaches 50,000-60,000 a year

Ann-Marie O’Reilly, Threshold’s national advocacy manager, said that, given Ireland’s housing system is not meeting everyone’s needs, other models need to be considered.

The call comes as Focus Ireland launched its annual report on Tuesday which highlighted a 12.5 per cent increase in the number of people it supported in 2023.

Mr Justice Denis McDonald lifted the automatic suspension on the awarding of a contract following the initiation of legal proceedings by one of the unsuccessful bidders

Coolsivna Construction Ltd has taken the action against Meath County Council

Children who spend more time growing up in worse housing conditions and poorer quality neighbourhoods face greater social and emotional difficulties that their peers, the study found

MLAs were told that officials were operating within a ‘rapidly changing legislative and operational environment’.

David Johnstone (40) has been waiting for more than 10 years to be assessed by the council for social housing

Ross Maguire, chief executive of New Beginning, who is also a senior counsel, said in an affidavit that some ten jobs will be lost

Director general Kevin Bakhurst said he wants a smaller organisation and one that will produce more projects outside the capital.

When the Government came to power in June 2020, some 23,600 social homes were in the planning pipeline — but some 1,150 have never progressed.

The developments will be built in areas throughout Dublin, including Charlestown, Tallaght, Clonburris and Donaghmede