By Irishexaminer.com,Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter

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“We’re finding that many councils are dragging their feet on this. I’ve spoke to a number of [council] CEOs and I’ve told them that if they’re not going to do it, Government will do it directly,” Mr Martin said.

I can’t comprehend how people are de-zoning land that is suitable for housing and we are running out of patience.

In July, housing minister James Browne instructed local authorities to reopen their development plans and increase the amount of land zoned for housing.

The National Planning Framework calls for enough land to be zoned to allow for 55,000 homes a year. However, it also provides for 50% additional headroom, meaning land for up to 83,000 homes is permitted each year.

It comes after reports in the Business Post that Wicklow County Council is proposing to dezone land which had been expected to deliver 3,000 new homes.

Mr Martin said he was “shocked” by the plan, and confirmed the Government would intervene in such cases.

“Government is not happy with chief executive officers of county councils the length and breadth of the country, who seem to be displaying a degree of inertia and lack of productivity in terms of rezoning land,” Mr Martin said,

“We have a housing crisis in this country. We’re hearing reports, some are writing that they’re not going to rezone their land at all.”

Mr Martin said there were young people across the country paying “excessive prices for housing”.

He added rezoning of land did not have to depend on existing infrastructure in an area, saying this could “come afterwards if necessary”.

The Taoiseach added he would be meeting with Mr Browne and executives from councils to “really drive this message home”.

Mr Martin was speaking at the Fianna Fáil think-in in Cork, where he also outlined the Government’s plan to overhaul judicial reviews and rebalance them in favour of the common good.

He highlighted the recent judicial review taken against the Greater Dublin Drainage Project, saying it was “not acceptable”.

“People need water and if we don’t have water supply or wastewater treatment, we don’t have housing and people need housing,” Mr Martin said.