The Taoiseach has been forced to defend the Government’s handling of the housing crisis during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil.
Ahead of her party's motion of no confidence in the Minister for Housing tonight, the Sinn Féin leader called on Leo Varadkar to sack Minister Eoghan Murphy.
Mary Lou McDonald accused the Taoiseach of being "delusional" believing everything was OK and the Government was "on track" in solving the housing crisis.
She accused the Housing Minister of failing in his duty to the tens of thousands on housing lists, to homeless people and children in emergency accommodation.
"You're immune and delusional because you stand up as head of Government and insist your plan is working," she said.
The Taoiseach said everyone knew that tonight’s motion by Sinn Féin was a tactic by the party seeking "to score political points".
He described the motion as oppositional politics - tactical, cynical and personalised.
Mr Varadkar said the Sinn Féin party didn't care about people on housing lists or homeless people because he said the party's councillors are voting down housing proposals all over the country.
When Sinn Féin TDs reacted angrily to that comment, the Taoiseach concluded his contribution "once again and time and again the Sinn Féin benches demonstrate that the truth hurts".
Also on the subject of housing, the Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace described the Land Development Agency (LDA), which was announced by the Government two weeks ago, as "croney capitalism at its finest".
Mr Wallace said the Land Development Agency was "NAMA mark two".
He described the appointment of a former "NAMA individual" as CEO as "soul destroying".
He equated it to getting the fox to mind the chickens and described as "nuts" that developers would build on State land while they "sit on their own land".
Mr Wallace said NAMA was funding Gannon Homes to build three-bed semis in Millers Glen, Swords, where prices start at €365,000.
He noted that the Housing Minister claimed €320,000 was affordable, but Mr Wallace questioned who could afford it.
The Independent TD called on the Taoiseach to explain how the Land Development Agency would put downward pressure on land prices.
The Taoiseach said 14,000 new homes had been built last year, which was 50% more than the year before.
He said 20,000 homes would be built this year and he said 5,000 families were taken out of homelessness last year, while rough sleeping was down 40%
"I'm not pretending we are on top of the issue, but I'm giving real factual examples," he said.
