Ireland's Housing DISASTER - Theo McDonald

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In this compelling episode of "Counterpoint," host Eddie Hobbs sits down with Theo McDonald, a prominent Generation Z journalist and author of the incisive "McDonald Report" on Ireland's housing crisis. Theo provides an unfiltered critique of the structural failures within Ireland's housing market, addressing how institutional investors, shadow banking, and governmental policy missteps have converged to lock out an entire generation from home ownership.

The discussion dives deep into why Ireland's young, highly educated talent pool is emigrating in significant numbers due to unaffordable housing and stagnant wages, and how current policies disproportionately benefit institutional investors rather than ordinary citizens. Theo challenges conventional wisdom around supply-demand dynamics, asserting that the market's dysfunction is not purely about inadequate supply but rather about systemic flaws, inadequate regulation, and misguided governmental strategies that enrich investors at the expense of the public.

Theo also highlights troubling developments in the mortgage market, including questionable practices around mortgage securitization and loan sales to vulture funds, raising critical questions about legal ownership and systemic risk.

Eddie and Theo explore solutions, including fundamental reforms to local governance and the empowerment of local authorities, while acknowledging the complex reality of implementing meaningful change in an entrenched political landscape.

Watch this essential conversation for an insightful look into Ireland's ongoing housing crisis, its broader socio-economic implications, and the urgent need for systemic reform.

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Eddie Hobbs heads up Hobbs Financial Practice Ltd, a private client advisory firm that specialises in strategic positioning of personal wealth. Hobbs Financial Practice Limited is Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. © 2025 1215 Counterpoint Productions Limited. All rights reserved.