Updated 11.55
A Cabinet Minister has denied claims that Ireland is facing a 'tsunami' of homelessness.
It comes a day after the government announced a €35 million plan to restore vacant houses for the use of at-risk families.
Campaigner Father Peter McVerry claimed at the weekend that the situation was 'beyond crisis'.
However Transport Minister Leo Varadkar told Newstalk's Breakfast the 'tsunami' image doesn't apply, and the problem isn't news to politicians:
It comes as new research shows three quarters of prospective home-buyers want to purchase in the next six months, though half of them believe stock is falling.
A new report from AIB shows more than half of would-be buyers have set themselves a budget of €350,000.
AIB is to launch a new report on the Residential Property Sector later today, it will show there are too many people looking for the same kind of houses, in the same areas.
However, Director of Property Industry Ireland Dr. Peter Stafford - an IBEC member and one of the authors of the report - told Business Breakfast there is a problem of supply, but he says that is not a bubble. His group insists fast track planning for builders could help undo the supply problem we're experiencing:
Dr. Stafford has also blasted a government plan to help people get a mortgage announced last week as looking at the issue 'from the wrong side'.
The government last week unveiled a scheme to help first time buyers get a mortgage.
However Peter Stafford on Business Breakfast says it's not the way to address the situation, "They need somewhere to live, it's a supply side problem. Making more money available to buy houses that don't exist seems to me to be looking at the problem from the wrong side."
