The Government is to examine measures which could force local authorities to facilitate the construction of affordable housing in their areas.
Senior sources confirmed yesterday that such steps, which would involve bypassing normal planning laws, were being considered following the failure of some local authorities to provide for sufficient affordable housing.
Figures to be published later this year will show many local authorities have not met targets for social and affordable housing, or used up State funding allocations for such developments.
To speed up the supply of affordable housing in Dublin, a new body was established yesterday by the Government to take over some functions which have rested with local authorities.
The Affordable Homes Partnership, chaired by former union leader Des Geraghty, will be responsible for taking measures to find and bring forward land for housing development.
These include identifying State land and entering into deals with developers to rezone land in exchange for the delivery of affordable housing.
A spokesman for Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said the new body would liaise with local authorities for the potential rezoning of lands. If local authorities fail to take steps to facilitate such measures, however, the Government would consider bypassing local authorities to provide such housing.
"We don't envisage coming up against great difficulties, but if they do arise we will look at whatever legislative measures are necessary to deliver affordable housing, such as giving greater teeth to the new body," the spokesman said.
He said that while such measures may involve going outside of normal planning laws, any affordable housing would have to comply with regional development or local authority guidelines.
Affordable housing is typically in the region of €150,000 per unit and is open to people earning below a certain wage. These figures vary across different local authority areas.
Mr Roche and Minister of State with responsibility for housing Noel Ahern said the Government would review progress on the delivery of affordable housing at an "early stage" and remove any impediments to progress through legislative means.
The Government has committed itself to delivering 10,000 affordable houses under the terms of the Sustaining Progress national pay deal.
While significant numbers of houses have been delivered under affordable housing schemes in the past, a Government initiative to provide social and affordable housing in newly-built private estates has been very slow.
While a record 77,000 housing units were completed last year, just 374 affordable houses were delivered under this initiative, known as Part V of the Planning Act.