A Social Democrats TD has said a pre-election report proves that the Government intentionally misled the public in relation to housing delivery.

The Irish Times recently relelased a report showing that civil servants sent a forecast to the former Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien months before the election stating that housing delivery would be between 30,000 and 33,000.

This is opposed to the 40,000 homes outlined by Minister O'Brien in the run up to the General Election.

A new housing development in Dublin, © PA Archive/PA Images

Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Rory Hearne said this proves the Government knew it wouldn't reach its target in advance of the election.

"The Government misled the public during the General Election last year," he said.

"They claimed they were going to build 40,000 when they knew - and this shows this, their own civil servants were telling them - they knew they weren't going to get near 40,000."

 Figures supplied in 'good faith'

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has said he believes housing figures supplied by Minister O'Brien were given in "good faith".

"I think Minister O'Brien was providing information in good faith and I suppose the context of that information is this - that in the previous number of years, targets had been exceeded and indeed even projections and estimates by other bodies had actually been exceeded as well," he said.

"That didn't happen last year and that is a cause for concern, that there was a stagnation in terms of progress in relation to housing supply.

"My focus now though is I'm not relitigating the last Government or the arguments of the last election but rather actually, crucially asking the question of how we can build more homes."

Opposition parties now claim the Government misled the public over those targets in the lead up to the General Election.

Main image: Rory Hearne rents split