Ireland's Permanent Housing Crisis

Ireland’s continual housing crisis will not be solved unless issues of affordability and security of tenure in the rental sector are addressed, according to a Trinity College academic.New legislation aimed at boosting supply in the housing market is currently going through the Seanad. It allows planning applications for large housing developments of more than 100 homes to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than to local councils and forms part of the government’s “Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, published earlier this year.Assistant Professor at Trinity College’s Geography department, Cian O’Callaghan, spoke on this week’s Inside Politics podcast about the plan, calling for a “different approach” to the Irish housing crisis. He says we need to look beyond the issue of housing supply and broaden tactics to address problems with affordability and security of tenure in the private-rental and social housing sectors.Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne said he appreciates the need to protect those who are already in accommodation, but until the issue of supply is addressed many others will continue to remain homeless.Director General of the Construction Industry Federation Tom Parlon argued that once supply in the housing market is increased there will be a direct positive effect on the rental sector, freeing up homes occupied by those looking to buy.The panel also discussed issues around vacant housing, improved building standards, the need to solve the apartment problem and the possibilities of building on state-owned land.

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