The Tánaiste has said 40,000 new homes are needed every year for at least seven years to catch up on population growth.
Micheál Martin admitted the number could be needed beyond the end of the decade to meet continuing demand.
He defended the Government’s housing record, saying 30,000 builds were completed last year despite the war in Ukraine.
Thursday 5pm pic.twitter.com/j8FuoaDLsU
— Talking Bollox Podcast (@talkingbollox_) April 12, 2023
Speaking to the Talking Bollox podcast, Mr Martin said population growth seems inevitable.
"I think population is going to continue to increase – we have the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe at the moment," he told podcast hosts Terence Power and Calvin O'Brien.
"So that means people are coming here to work. So if you come here to work, you need somewhere to stay.
"There were 40,000 work permits issued last year, close to that, I believe. And that's not counting people coming in from Europe. They have free mobility and can work here as well."
His comments come after unpublished research by the Housing Commission said Ireland may need up to 62,000 homes built per year until 2050 to meet demand – almost double the annual target in the Government’s masterplan for this decade.
The research, which was shared with Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien in November last year, indicates that Ireland requires between 42,000 and 62,000 new homes every year.
However, under Mr O’Brien’s Housing for All strategy, 33,000 is the average annual target in the period to 2030.
