The Government failed to meet its target for building new social housing last year, figures have revealed.
Figures from the Department of Housing reveal more than 4,000 social homes were built in 2018, which was 4% below target.
However, the rate of construction last year was 85% higher compared to 2017.
More than 4,000 additional homes were also brought into the system through other means.
That includes house buys and vacant homes being brought back into use.
With those houses accounted for, the Government suggests it was 6% over target for social housing overall.
Roughly one in four homes built last year was for social housing.
The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy suggested it's a sign the Government's housing plan is working.
However, he acknowledged that much more needs to be done.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, he explained: "Our new build target was slightly below what we wanted it to be, but it was still a big increase on 2017.
"Rather than getting bogged down in the numbers, the important thing to note here I think is that the increase in social housing is dramatically improving."
'Over reliance on private rented sector'
Sinn Féin, meanwhile, claimed the rate of delivering social housing remains "glacial".
Social Housing Output 2018
- 4,251 new build social homes
- 6,861 real social homes (build & acquisitions)
- 560 expensive relets wrongly categorised as voids
- 75% of social tenancies via private sector
Delivery glacial & over reliance on private sector continues pic.twitter.com/P14VtBnpys— Eoin Ó Broin (@EOBroin) February 13, 2019
The party's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin argued that the Government needs to double capital investment in social and affordable housing to address the housing crisis.
In a statement responding to the new figures, he said: "Given that more than 14,000 new households came onto the Council housing lists in 2018 it is clear that the Governments social housing targets will come nowhere near meeting existing or new demand.
"While the increase in new builds is welcome it is nothing to celebrate given that the targets were set so low in the first place.
"The 2018 figures also confirms once again the Governments over reliance on private rented sector to meet social housing need."
