Members of the Government's Housing Commission have faced opposition from some policy-makers about plans to ramp up targets for the housing goals, it has been claimed.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has vowed to implement a 'Covid-style' response to Ireland's housing crisis, and the expectation is that current targets of 33,000 units a year will be significantly increased.

The Taoiseach last night met with the Housing Commission at Government Buildings to discuss issues under the commission's remit, including tenure and quality-of-life issues in the provision of housing.

But BusinessPlus.ie understands the commission has met with resistance from policy-makers, such as local authorities and Government bodies, about the feasibility of meeting increased targets.

A source said: "The commission has been particularly focused on housing needs and that it is significantly above current policy targets. That wasn't a surprise to the Taoiseach.

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"But they were particularly interested in a solution. It's one thing to go from saying the housing need is not 33,000 a year, it's probably closer to 50,000 a year. That's a bigger challenge entirely."

However, one commission source said in relation to the meeting last night: "The big one was, is the policy system ready to realise that the housing need is twice what the current housing targets are?

"I don't think it's unreasonable to say the commission has found some resistance in particular parts of the policy system. They're saying, 'Don't be going off setting housing targets that we will never reach.'"

It is understood Mr Varadkar is aware of the scale of the challenge and wants the commission to provide the Government with a range of options that it can choose from to get as many homes as possible built before the next election.

It is understood that the Taoiseach was keen to emphasise that everyone was entitled to a decent quality of life in a home, regardless of tenure.

On tenure, it is understood the Taoiseach had a discussion about housing supply more generally. "He actually said at one point: 'All these unactivated planning permissions: I really don't care if they are social housing or build-to-rent. I just want homes built'. From that point of view he is tenure-neutral I guess."

It is also understood the Taoiseach asked the commission for its views on the evictions ban, due to end later this year.

This was the latest in a series of meetings the Taoiseach is holding with stakeholders on housing, to ask their advice and learn from their experiences.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "The Taoiseach emphasised that we must do whatever it takes to solve this social crisis and reverse the trend of rising homelessness and falling home ownership. He said the Government will leave no stone unturned, and no option will be taken off the table without due consideration."