'We got it wrong' - Taoiseach says inflated pre-election housing figures were a 'genuine belief at the time'

The article discusses the controversy surrounding the housing completion figures reported by the Central Statistics Office, revealing that just over 30,000 homes were built last year, contrary to earlier claims of approximately 40,000. Taoiseach Simon Harris and other government officials acknowledged this discrepancy, expressing regret but insisting it was based on a genuine belief that completions would increase. The government plans to review Rent Pressure Zones and assess future housing goals while managing expectations for upcoming St. Patrick's Day engagements with President Trump amid ongoing political concerns.

"We got that wrong, and I acknowledge that and I regret that. It was not in any way a premeditated attempt to mislead anybody."

"The Rent Pressure Zones expire at the end of the year so we have time in between to say: can we develop an alternative system which protects renters but also enables people to have a clear stable environment in which to invest."

Read at Irish Independent