The Oireachtas Committee on Housing has heard that nearly one third of local authority land banks cannot proceed to development because they are not serviced sites.
The City and County Managers Association told politicians that councils have identified over 560 landbanks suitable for housing development, with capacity for around 21,500 social and affordable homes.
Association chair Eddie Taaffe said that 28% of these sites could not proceed due to inadequate access to essential services such as water, wastewater, and electricity.
"Utility investment plans need to the fully aligned with local housing strategies. Uisce Éireann and the ESB must coordinate with local authorities to proactively service land in strategic growth areas."
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said that the Programme for Government committed the Coalition to 82,000 social and affordable rental and purchase homes over the next five years.
He asked where the land would come from to provide these homes.
"Where is the land going to come from?", Mr Ó Broin said.
"I appreciate it's not all from local authorities but if you've only got land for 21,000 of those, what would you like to see from Government in terms of additional land capacity for the local Government sector."
Mr Taaffe said that local authority landbanks are sufficient for the medium term only, the next 3-4 years at best.
And that assumed lands that are not currently serviced, will be serviced in that time.
He added local authorities must building up land banks again, but the issue is the lack of availability of suitable zoned and serviced land on the market.
"In order to build up landbanks, we need to get back into Compulsory Purchase Orders again. They take time to do but that is the only mechanism that gives you certainty," Mr Taafe said.
Today's committee meeting, chaired by Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath Micheál Carrigy, is the first session of any committee to hear from external witnesses since before the General Election.
