The Sinn Féin leader has accused the Taoiseach and Tánaiste of repeating "pure fiction" during the General Election campaign that 40,000 new homes would be delivered in 2024.
Speaking in the Dáil, Mary Lou McDonald said data from the Central Statistics Office and the Central Bank showed that the 40,000 figure was "fictitious" but the two Coalition leaders continued to give "false information" to the public on house completions.
The Dublin Central TD claimed Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris "knowingly deceived people" and she asserted that Mr Martin needed to "set the record straight" and correct the Dáil record.
In reply, the Taoiseach said that the Government was "extremely disappointed" that the actual number of homes delivered last year was lower than the official target of 33,000.
However, he rejected the accusation that talking about 40,000 house completions during the election campaign was a "ploy" aimed at convincing voters that the country had "turned the corner on housing".
Mr Martin told the Dáil that his commentary came from "a genuine belief" that the country was on course to deliver a housing "in the high thirties", adding there was "no attempt to deceive".
He added that the Government had "excelled" in 2022 and 2023, and surpassed targets, asserting that if one added up the targets for 2022, 2023 and 2024 then the Government exceeded its target by 5,000 homes.
Read more: Ireland will need to build 93,000 homes a year up to 2031 - Davy
The Sinn Féin leader said when the Government was talking about 40,000 house completions the truth was that not only had it stagnated but it was "actually going backwards".
She claimed: "You deliberately used a figure when you have to have known that was not going to be delivered."
Mr Martin said Deutche Bank and Cairn Homes also predicted housing completions of close to 40,000.
The actual output, he said, was very, very disappointing.
He added that one of the challenges for the future related to incentivising the private sector as "the State will not be able to do it all on its own".
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'Government spin'
The Deputy Leader of the Social Democrats told the Dáil that "the Government spin" on housing targets was "relentless" during the election year.
Cian O'Callaghan said Mr Martin's comments on housing targets were amongst the weakest he has ever delivered to the house, when he promised 40,000 homes would be delivered in 2024.
Mr O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach: "Why did you completely and utterly disregard the hard data from the ... CSO that were completely disputing your 40,000 homes claim?"
"You were saying that 40,000 homes would be delivered ... despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary," he said.
He added: "Is it only in an election year that you don't listen to the CSO?"
"Was your claim that 40,000 homes would be delivered a deliberate deception?" Mr O'Callaghan asked.
In response, the Taoiseach said: "Housing is the number one issue, it wasn't in any shape or form an attempt to deceive people."
The Taoiseach said in other years, like 2022 and 2023, the Government had exceeded targets.
He accused the Social Democrats of opposing legislation that would have brought additional affordable homes on stream.
Mr Martin said he would welcome the party's support, rather than opposing progress.
He added that the Social Democrats were "poor" on housing during government formation talks and accused the party of looking to get "a soundbite on the Six O'Clock News".
