The Government needs to make up to €600 million available for social housing every year between now and 2012 because the current provision of such affordable homes is "completely inadequate", a new report says.
The Cori Justice Commission, which is one of the social partners, published its policy briefing for the Government on housing and accommodation saying a comprehensive, integrated national housing policy was needed urgently.
"For the first time in its history, Ireland has sufficient resources to ensure that everyone here has appropriate accommodation. All it requires is political will," the Cori report says.
Cori welcomed last year's publication of the National Economic and Social Council's study on housing in Ireland and agreed with its recommendation that some 200,000 social housing units should be available by 2012.
This would increase the present supply of 127,000 by 73,000 over an eight-year period, Cori said.
There are almost 50,000 households on waiting lists, despite the fact that house building is at an all-time high.
"Increased social housing provision is essential if Ireland is to have a viable future. The current pace at which this increase is being provided is completely inadequate," said the report.
Cori said an addition investment of between €500 million and €600 million would be required to meet the target by 2012 and that the Government should make provision for this.
"This should be seen as a good investment, not as another 'cost' to the Exchequer. It would go some way towards addressing Ireland's current infrastructure deficit."
Cori said vulnerable groups - such people with disabilities, Travellers, homeless people, some older people and some rural dwellers - were of particular concern in developing housing policy.
The organisation said the population is set to exceed five million within the next 15 years, creating new challenges that must be addressed if Ireland's accommodation system is to be adequate.
In other recommendations, Cori said a policy should be introduced whereby those purchasing second houses (holiday homes) should pay the full infrastructural costs of these homes.
A quarter of all houses built in 2003 were holiday homes and are vacant for about nine months of the year, Cori said.
The infrastructure for such homes is, it claimed, "substantially subsidised" by the taxpayer and the demand for second houses is eating up resources and working against balanced regional development.