The Fianna Fáil leadership has faced pressure from its backbench TDs this week to tackle the housing problem.
The Government is being urged by its own TDs to "throw the kitchen sink" at the housing crisis, according to reports by the Irish Daily Mail.
Fianna Fáil backbenchers have warned the party leadership that they're in danger of being destroyed at the next election.
The Irish Daily Mail reports there are fears of "total devastation" at the polls if significant progress isn't made before the next election.
This comes as the latest Government figures reveal the number of homeless people in the State living in emergency accommodation has increased to 11,988.
There are suggestions that the State's €10 billion surplus from corporate tax should be used on housing.
"Dysfunctional" department
Irish Daily Mail reporter John Lee said it's hard to see the crisis being solved when the current targets are already too low.
“The Government themselves admit that those circa 33,000 average [houses] a year over 10 years are not good enough, and they need to have a target of 50,000 to meet demand,” he said.
Mr Lee said the current goals are based on the previous census, which is not accurate for housing needed.
He said there is fear that the Department of Housing is completely “dysfunctional”.
“Where the eviction ban brought everything into focus... the coalition looked at the Department of Housing,” he said. “When they saw the lack of preparation that was done for the ending of that eviction ban, they realised that this is not working.”
"No effort"
Mr Lee said there is a “feeling among TDs” that there has been “absolutely no effort” from the Government to make more use of vacant properties.
“I think back to a conversation I had with a cabinet minister that that low hanging fruit was not tackled,” he said.
He also said the impact of construction stoppages during the pandemic is still being felt.
“Open air working and other services like supermarkets continued unabated,” he said. “I then question whether a middle-aged man like Micheál Martin who does not have to concern himself with the ins and outs of getting a property, whether he truly understands the problem.”
