The Tánaiste says the process of building new social housing is taking longer than she'd like.

Last year the Government announced that almost €4bn would be invested in the construction of 35,000 social housing units.

There are 130,000 households currently on local authority lists, waiting for a home.

It comes as homeless charities call for immediate action to alleviate the housing crisis, as a homeless man was found dead in a lane on Dublin city centre yesterday morning.

The Peter McVerry Trust say four homeless people have died in Dublin over the past six weeks, and that many more will die if something is not done.

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton says the planning application process is slowing down construction of much needed houses:

According to a recent study by the Simon Community, there are 275 children and 607 families without a home in the Dublin region alone.