The Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland was under fire today for failing to build enough homes to make inroads into the North's homelessness problem.
With the number of homeless people in Northern Ireland rising by 15 per cent to 14,000 people over the past year, nationalist SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan was also alarmed that levels were running at a rate that is 50 per cent higher than in England.
The former Stormont Deputy First Minister said: "It is all the more shocking therefore when we see figures that show DSD's public sector housing starts falling lamentably short of target.
"It is already clear that DSD's modest target of 3,000 new starts will not be met and that the Department's newbuild programme is doing nothing to reduce the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's waiting-list never mind make inroads on the problem of homelessness itself.
"I am now calling on the minister to come out and tell us, firstly what is going wrong in the new-build programme and secondly what he is going to do about it.
"This is not just a question of resources. The Department must redouble their efforts."
Following last Thursday's budget, Northern Ireland Office minister Mr Des Browne pledged £623 million to improve housing conditions through revenue raised by the Housing Executive and the budget allocation of £283.8 million during 2003 and 2004.
Mr Durkan, who yesterday joined representatives of the Simon Community in the Cornmarket area of Belfast to highlight their Christmas appeal for the homeless, said social inclusion was a key aim of locally elected ministers during devolution.
However he lambasted the Department over its housing provision.
The Foyle MLA said: "The failure to provide adequate or indeed any housing for so many of our people - brought sharply into focus at this time of the year - is simply unacceptable."