The Irish Times view on housing policy: more of the same will not be enough
The Government is in a very difficult position on housing. And there are few signs that things are improving. To make a start in the right direction first requires one vital thing – an acceptance that 'more of the same' in terms of policy will simply not be enough.
The figures in recent months have been uniformly poor, notably those showing that housing completions last year were not far above 30,000, when during the general election campaign senior ministers had been promising close to 40,000. On Monday,
the latest report from Daft.ie
, the property website, showed asking prices for new rentals exceeded €2,000 on average for the first time.
Meanwhile,
figures for housing commencement
notices have showed a sharp annual fall, even though last year's had been inflated by incentive deadlines. All the money being spent on new schemes is not paying off as it should. An honest examination of these – and why they are still not working – might not be a bad place to start.
And it is essential that rather than piling up more schemes on top of those already there, the Government focuses forensically on the fundamental issues, such as planning, the cost of building and aligning all parts of the State machinery. If it does not do this in the coming months then, politically, it will see no benefit by the time of the next general election.
READ MORE
High rents are just one symptom of the wider problem in the housing market, driven fundamentally by lack of supply. The latest figures from Daft.ie on new rentals are striking, albeit that those in existing tenancies face somewhat lower costs. A key area for the Government here is that while the Rent Pressure Zone rules offer some protection to existing tenants, they also seem to be one of the factors stymying new supply. The Housing Commission recommended an amended scheme, rather than a free for all. The latter is clearly not possible at current rent levels.
The issues in terms of accelerating new supply apply across the board in the housing market and are not easily solved. But so far the Government has not given any clear indication of how it will improve things, bar the creation of a plethora of new taskforces and groups which may or may not make things better. At least they should ensure more clarity on the key issues. And help with decisions on implementing the new planning bill and whether, in fact, more fundamental changes are required.
Ultimately, responsibility comes back to the Minister for Housing, James Browne as well as the Taoiseach and other senior cabinet members. Ministers tell us that housing is an emergency, but are they prepared to treat it as one, which will involve discommoding those who are already housed in order to build for those who are not? And resetting incentives across the system in favour of the generation currently locked out of the housing market.
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Irish Times
16 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, June 12th: On rent market changes, the media and hurling
Sir, – For a political party that once declared their support for 'people who get up early in the morning', the changes announced in the rental market feels like a statutory stab in the back. As a property investor who had many sleepless nights during the 'crash', and who has worked hard all my life and done without, I now find my investments held hostage by a legislative tangle of incomprehensible rules and regulations. And why? All because a government has failed miserably to address the housing crisis and needs a fall guy to sate the baying populist politicians on the Opposition benches. Who was there for me when interest rates were rising, when the banks were spitting in my face and tenants were not to be found? No help, no rescue plan for landlords then. We struggled through at great cost, financially, emotionally and physically. READ MORE The Rental Control Zones (introduced in 2016) were to last just three years – they continue in place leaving many small landlords collecting rents that are at 60 per cent or less of market value in an environment of rising maintenance and management charges. Fine Gael should hang theirs collective heads in shame. In an effort to reach those who will never be theirs, they have left the 'true blues' out in the cold. A price will be paid. –Yours, etc, NEVILLE SCARGILL, Bray, Co Wicklow. Gender issues and the media Sir, – It's a rare and welcome sight to see an Irish journalist tackle the contentious trans debate, and Hugh Linehan's recent article does so with commendable courage (' Why is Irish Media so reticent about covering gender issues? ' June 9th) By addressing what others avoid, Linehan upholds George Orwell's standard that 'journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations'. For this, he deserves significant credit. However, I was puzzled by Linehan's description of me as 'an activist with a clear ideological stance'. I challenge him to define this supposed ideological stance, as I suspect he'll struggle to do so. My work is driven not by ideology but by a commitment to reality, biological facts, and professional responsibility. As a psychotherapist, I am duty-bound to advocate for best-practice care for gender-distressed young people, just as journalists like Linehan are obliged to confront challenging issues in the public sphere. It's unfortunate that his piece, while rightly noting Irish journalism's reluctance to engage with this topic, mischaracterises my mental health work as activism rather than professional integrity. In 2021, I founded Genspect, an international organisation that promotes a non-medicalised approach to gender-related distress. We believe that feminine boys should be free to wear dresses, and that masculine girls should be able to express stereotypically masculine traits, without being directed towards puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. As a former masculine girl myself, I know firsthand how society struggles to accept gender-nonconforming children and I advocate for a world that embraces this nonconformity without relying on medical intervention. Genspect provides vital psychological support through regular online meetings for individuals harmed by medical transition, parents of trans-identified youth, and those who identify as transgender. With approximately 1,500 individuals supported, including over 360 detransitioners – people who have medically transitioned and now seek to reverse this transition – Genspect is the only organisation in the world that offers free support to detransitioners. This is not activism; it's a response to urgent, unmet needs. Linehan rightly notes that Irish journalism has too often sidestepped these complex issues. RTÉ, in particular, has avoided meaningful engagement, failing its obligations as a public service broadcaster. This silence has eroded clarity, rigour, and public trust. Linehan's article is a long-overdue example of intellectual honesty and moral courage. I hope it inspires more journalists to ask tough questions and engage thoughtfully. I also respectfully request that the paper of record clarify the characterisation of my work. – Yours, etc STELLA O'MALLEY, Birr, Co Offaly. Sir, – I would like to commend and thank Hugh Linehan for his acknowledgement of the failure of the Irish journalistic class (with a few notable exceptions) to do their job and report on the issues around gender identity and its impact on children and women. His explanation, or excuse, as to why this happened will be of little comfort to parents and women who have experienced radio (and print) silence in trying to engage in a national discussion about actual evidence, best practice, safeguarding and fairness. Linehan is correct that children, and women, deserve better. As a starting point, we need the media to do its job and report on the evidence and the facts. The Irish Times would do well to engage and finally reassert itself as a paper of record on this issue. – Yours etc, SHEENA McAFEE, Dartry, Dublin 6. Godly consultants Sir, – Tom O'Dowd MD (Letters, June 11th) asks 'how are managers expected to deal with a few highly unionised well-paid doctors with track records of bullying junior staff and playing the system?' Perhaps addressing them as God or Your Majesty would do the trick. –Yours, etc, BRIAN AHERN, Clonsilla, Dublin. Nursing homes scandals Sir, – The recent horrifying revelations concerning maltreatment of some residents in some care homes indirectly highlights the critical importance of enabling infirm people to remain in their own homes for as long as is feasible. A critical factor, in enabling people to remain in their homes for as long as possible, is the support that they receive, especially, and not just from family members and neighbours, but also from the unsung heroes, the health care assistants who visit infirm people in their homes and provide them with the sustenance and care that they need order to supplement their support. We see this in the case of an elderly family member. Included in this rank of busy and extremely burdened health care assistants are the many who are non-nationals in origin and who, alongside their Irish counterparts, provide empathetic and utterly devoted care, sometimes to a level way beyond their employment remit. Let us celebrate all those who deserve celebration, who all too often are undervalued even though what they do, on a daily basis, is some of the most important work in society. Without this vital group of healthcare workers there are many, now contently living at home, who would already be in care homes, perhaps receiving less than optimal care for their individual needs, not to mention the premature loss of their autonomy. Proper pay and conditions, sufficient time for visits and proper recognition of the invaluable role of these vital people within society ought to be a minimum practical provision in a truly caring society. – Yours, etc, REGINA and ANTHONY LAYNG, Ringsend Road, Dublin 4. Sir, – Prof Des O'Neill calls for a number of measures, including stronger advocacy voices, to address the lingering crisis in our nursing homes ('Has anything changed since Leas Cross?', June 10th ). Unfortunately, there will never be enough professionally trained advocates to help residents. The wider community can play a pivotal role in this regard. The theme of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th is connection is protection – by being good neighbours and watching out for each other we can protect the most vulnerable from potential abuse. Residents living in nursing homes become quickly disconnected from the rest of society with many experiencing profound loneliness. Such a situation can be a breeding ground for bad work practices and abuse. Communities who visit residents regularly in their local nursing homes are uniquely placed to break the cycle of loneliness, call out poor standards of care and become advocates for the most vulnerable. The persistent determination of those families who continue to fight for their loved ones featured in the recent RTÉ Investigates: Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes should be a rallying call for communities to take up the mantle. – Yours, etc, TONY CARROLL, Beaumont, Dublin. Trump and fatigue Sir, – US president Donald Trump seems intent on testing the powers of his office to the limit. Perhaps it is time for the United States to consider changing the first line of the preamble to the Constitution from 'we the people' to 'I, the President. – Yours, etc, NUALA DELANEY, Killiney, Co Dublin. Sir, – Would it be possible to publish the paper for a week without a reference to President Trump ? I'd settle for a day. – Yours, etc, PAUL WALSH, Co Dublin. Freedom flotilla interception Sir, – So the Israeli military forces intercepted and seized the non-profit Freedom Flotilla Coalition's yacht in international waters, while she was sailing to Gaza with a symbolic contribution of urgently needed humanitarian aid. The stomach churning photo of an Israel Defense Forces individual pressing a sandwich and orange juice on a bemused Greta Thunberg said it all. There were reports that the flotilla detainees would be subjected to a film, while 'guests of the nation', about the original attack by Hamas on Israel in October, 2023. One wonders, purely for balance, if the Israeli government would also show a documentary on the total destruction of Gaza and the killing of an estimated 54,000 people in 20 months of ruthless and incessant bombardment. It was probably unlikely that there would be time to show the detail, in the face of Israel's haste to get the turbulent group of flotilla volunteers off their hands. –Yours, etc, PATRICK JUDGE, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. An affront to humanity Sir, – The release of Ratko Mladic (' Ratko Mladic: Terminally ill Bosnian Serb general serving life for genocide seeks release, ' June 10th) would be an affront to humanity and the entire concept of justice itself. Last year I visited Sarajevo and Mostar, having previously studied the Bosnian war and genocide. I am lucky enough to not have lived during such utter depravity, but its lessons on ethnonationalism and the failure of the international community should never be forgotten. As you stand in the Sehidsko Mezarje Kovaci cemetery next to the old town in Sarajevo, you will witness young people weep as they mourn their parents who never had the chance to see their children go to college or have families; the partners and parents of those who were blown to bits before their very eyes by Serb mortars. They remember what Mladic did to Bosnia like it was yesterday, and it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Victims of a brutal 1,425-day siege, a city abandoned to slaughter by the world. Today, it stands as a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians worship and live side by side, as they have done for over 500 years; a stark contrast to the vision of a resurgent reactionary nationalism across Europe, the United States and the Middle East. Mladic's lawyers have argued that he should be allowed to live out the remainder of his days alongside his family; there can be no true justice for what happened in Bosnia. However, allowing Mladic to experience freedom would be the most grotesque injustice for those who will never cease to mourn. Will international justice fail them once again? – Yours, etc, ANDREW DUNNE, Rialto, Dublin 8. Free-flowing hurling Sir, – Gordon Manning's article about referees and free-flowing hurling('I f we want free-flowing hurling we must accept the refereeing that facilitates it, ' June 10th,) is timely. When the subject of free-flowing hurling is discussed, it is normally assumed that it is entirely the prerogative of the referee that a match is free-flowing ie. the referee tolerates a certain level of fouling or rule-breaking in the interests of a free-flowing game. For some strange reason, the spotlight is never placed on the players who commit the fouls and break the rules. Players behaviour should be placed at the centre of any debate regarding the desire for a free-flowing game. It is quite simple – play by the rules and there will be fewer frees. Then you get a free-flowing game that avoids dubious (and often dangerous) tackles that otherwise become the norm in a match. – Yours, etc, EAMON O'FLYNN, Merrion Road, Dublin 4. Unrestricted censorship Sir, –I had quite a different experience of a library than the one experienced by President Michael D Higgins and detailed by Ray Burke in An Irish Diary (June 9th). All the books were bad for you in the one I visited, but I nevertheless had unrestricted access to them. The Department of Justice had a store of banned publications which they kindly allowed me entry to about 25 years ago. As Burke points out, so many famous authors had had their works scrutinised that the censors handled what are now very valuable books. I visited the collection to see if there were editions that should have been transferred to the National Library or otherwise preserved. Unfortunately, there weren't. Instead, there were shelves of randomly assorted volumes and a small selection of top shelf magazines. The books ranged from aged historical romances that had left my teenage sisters undamaged (and which were by then available in any second-hand shop in the country), to more recherché and pornographic texts in Latin (which no one bothered to ban as they were protected by classic status). While no individual work was valuable, the collection is of considerable interest as it contained the underlinings and jottings of the censorship committee members and I hope that it has been preserved intact. – Yours, etc, JOHN FLOOD, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Irish Times
29 minutes ago
- Irish Times
One in five Irish consumers seeking a house to rent or buy
Almost one in five consumers in the Republic say they are looking to either rent or buy a property , the second highest rate in Europe, according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). In its latest housing market monitor, the banking lobby group mined data from the European Central Bank 's (ECB) consumer expectations survey for February, showing a high level of latent or unmet demand for housing in the Irish market. The BPFI said demand for housing continues to rise, with 17 per cent of consumers reporting that they were looking to rent or buy, the second highest rate in Europe after the Netherlands (20.9 per cent). Among those renting, more than a quarter (26.3 per cent) were looking for accommodation, while one in five of those with a mortgage were actively looking for new housing. READ MORE 'The strong demand for housing especially among first-time buyers [FTBs] is also evident in the fact that 17,144 applications were received by the Revenue Commissioners for Help to Buy in the first four months of this year, almost 5,000 more than in the same period of 2024,' said BPFI chief executive Brian Hayes. However, Mr Hayes noted that on the supply side, only one in 10 (10.5 per cent) owner occupiers said they were rather likely or very likely to sell. Will rent reform make building apartments viable? Listen | 40:12 'We expect to see housing demand continue, mainly driven by demographic trends and mortgage demand, especially by FTBs due to the more positive outlook on incomes, with gross average earnings now surpassing €1,000 per week for the first time since the CSO [Central Statistics Office] data series began in 20088,' said Mr Hayes. 'On the supply side, however, there is significant uncertainty in terms of housing output in the medium term.' In its report, the BPFI noted that while the State is experiencing employment and population growth, the supply of housing has fallen behind. It noted that almost 6,000 new dwellings were completed in the first quarter, 2 per cent up on the same period last year. In annualised terms, there were 30,356 housing completions in the 12 months ending in March 2025. The Government's Housing for All output target is for the construction of 41,000 new homes in 2025, but given that overall completions fell back to 30,000 last year, few analysts expect this target to be achieved. 'We know that Ireland's population increased by around 735,000 people between 2014 and 2024 while in the same period, employment increased by nearly 739,000,' said Mr Hayes. 'Meanwhile, housing completions in Ireland declined in 2024 for the first time since 2013, excluding the period between 2020 and 2021, when the pandemic affected activity significantly,' he said. The BPFI also highlighted a worrying drop-off in housing commencements, the strongest indicator of future supply. After a significant rise in commencements in 2004, to just over 69,000 units mainly due to waivers on development levy and water connections charges, the BPFI's report said commencement numbers for the first four months of 2025 are 'discouraging' at 3,945 units, around 40 per cent of the levels observed in 2023 and similar to levels seen in 2016. The BPFI also noted that 73,626 units were granted permission in 2023 and 2024 in total, 'which is not encouraging for future years' potential housing output'. Planning permissions declined by more than 21 per cent between 2023 and 2024, with permissions issued for apartments dropping by more than 38 per cent during the period. In terms of mortgage activity, the BPFI noted there were 9,190 mortgage drawdowns in the first quarter of 2025 valued at €2.8 billion, an increase of 10 per cent in volume terms.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Government will be on 'the wrong side' of history over Israeli bonds decision, opposition says
The Government has been warned it is on the "the wrong side" of history after rejecting a motion to prevent the facilitation of Israeli war bonds. Opposition parties united behind a motion demanding the Government enact emergency legislation to explicitly force the Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of Israel bonds. The Social Democrats motion, supported by Sinn Féin, Labour, and People Before Profit-Solidarity also called on the coalition to advise the bank that "by acting as the enabling cog in Israel's fund-raising machine in the EU, it is putting the State at risk of a charge of complicity in genocide". However, the Government's countermotion stated that it had "received advice from the Attorney General that recently proposed legislation to introduce 'restrictive measures' was not compatible with our obligations as members of the EU and in conflict with Article 215 and Article 63 Treaty on the Functioning of the EU". The motion with the amendment put forward by the Government was then passed by 85 votes to 71. Speaking in the Dáil ahead of the vote, finance minister Paschal Donohoe said: "Despite the human feelings I have and the determination of the Government to respond to this, I have to recognise the law with regard to the EU and the law that recognises the independent operation of the Central Bank of Ireland." But Social Democrats TD Cian O'Callaghan claimed that the Government was "hiding behind technicalities" and could act on the matter if it wanted to. Let us be clear about this. Genocide is taking place and is being part-funded by the sale of Israeli bonds including in Europe, which is being facilitated by the Irish Central Bank. Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty described Mr Donohoe's response as "shameful", adding: "History will show that the minister is on the wrong side of this issue. He has used carefully constructed words to tell us what we cannot do. "However, the reality is that if Government wants to initiate national measures that will ensure that the Central Bank does not sign off on a prospective and therefore, not facilitate the sale of these war bonds in Ireland, then it can do so."
