Property developers are "literally screwing" young couples with huge increases in house prices, according to Sinn Féin's leader in the Dáil, Mr Caoimghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan).

He said a builder in Co Dublin last week "gazumped" house prices by €15,000 in a three-day period. Speaking during Opposition leaders' questions to the Taoiseach, he asked how the Government intended to deal with this "scandal".

Mr Ahern said 55,000 houses would be built this year, a record, of which 12,000 would be for social and affordable housing. Land speculation rather than house prices was increasing costs and this was being addressed by the constitutional committee.

Mr Ó Caoláin said at current output, the housing list would only be reduced by about 1,400 a year. There was a €57 million drop in the allocation for social housing provision by the Department of Local Government.

Mr Ahern said the Government had "comprehensive strategies to deal with the homeless".