Latest news with #housingemergency
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland's housing perma-crisis returns to centre of political agenda
The seeming perma-crisis of housing and the Government's struggle to tackle the problem is once more front and centre of the political agenda. On Monday, left-wing Opposition parties – Sinn Féin , Labour , the Social Democrats and People Before Profit - announced plans for a major 'Raise the Roof' housing protest outside Leinster House next month to coincide with the tabling of a joint motion on the housing crisis. Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin said: 'We want the largest number of people who are angry and frustrated in the first instance with the Government's failures on housing … to come out, stand up to the Government and show your demand for something different.' People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy called for 'a massive show of people power', saying: 'We need to declare a housing emergency.' READ MORE It remains to be seen what bright ideas will be included in the Opposition's motion – they will not be unveiling its contents until closer to the time – but it is clear they intend to ramp up pressure on the Government on housing both inside and outside Leinster House. So what is the Government – which insists housing is its number one priority - doing about it all? Minister for Housing James Browne has had something of a baptism of fire in his new role but he and his officials have been working on a range of housing activation measures due to be announced in the coming weeks. The first is due to go before Cabinet today. Developers would be able to seek extensions to planning permissions in cases where building work has been delayed by judicial review proceedings, under the plans for emergency legislation set to be considered by Ministers today. The intention is for the legislation to be completed prior to the Dáil summer recess and there is a hope within Government that it could help to get thousands of units built. The measure is a bid to activate developments such as large-scale apartment projects which might otherwise go beyond their permission timeline after being held up as a result of judicial reviews sought by opponents of the planned developments. Another intervention is efforts to regulate AirBnB -style short-term lets amid a hope that potentially thousands of homes could be freed up for the long-term rental market. As Jack Horgan-Jones reports today , there were other considerations in developing that policy too, as officials warned that failure to regulate short-term lettings could lead to protests against tourism, undermining the 'Irish welcome' and damaging the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination. Separately, there are ongoing deliberations over the future of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) – where two per cent caps on rent increases are aimed at protecting tenants from large hikes. However, the system has fuelled concern that private investment in housing is being stifled and is impacting on supply. The Opposition are poised to oppose any outcome of this review that in their view leads to rent increases. At the weekend, Minister of State for Housing John Cummins said there are a 'range of options' under consideration in relation to RPZs. He told RTÉ: 'We want to ensure that we have protections in place for renters while also increasing supply. I think we can find a balance between both.' Finding this balance is likely to prove tricky. Ultimately the Coalition has pledged to introduce a new 'all of Government national housing plan' that will see construction capacity ramped up to build more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030. Another story today by Niamh Towey shows how reaching that target will prove difficult. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is due to tell the Oireachtas committee on housing that there will be no major uptick in housing supply this year or next year. While the ESRI is currently forecasting just over 34,000 new homes will be built this year and 37,000 in 2026, 'most of the risks weigh on the downside', researcher Conor O'Toole will tell TDs and Senators. The latest housing targets set by the Government aim for a total of 303,000 new homes to be built by 2030, starting with 41,000 homes this year and rising incrementally to 60,000 homes a year by 2030. A total of 30,330 homes were built in 2024, a decrease from 33,000 in 2023, which the ESRI points to as a 'notable weakness'. Best Reads Today's lead outlines how a consultant working at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) who was at the centre of an internal review for allegedly referring public patients to his own weekend clinic did not face disciplinary action. The consultant instead retired, after the investigation highlighted issues around governance and adherence to correct procedures in a children's hospital. Our Health Correspondent Shauna Bowers has the story here . The parties' selection of candidates for the upcoming presidential election is becoming a late late show, Harry McGee writes . Political Editor Pat Leahy outlines how Minister for Arts and Culture Patrick O'Donovan will seek funding to 'extend and expand' the basic income scheme for artists , which is due to expire this summer. A pilot scheme, under which 2,000 artists have been paid €325 a week, has been operating for the last three years but is due to conclude in August. On the opinion pages Fintan O'Toole asks : if there's so much buyer's remorse about Brexit, why is Nigel Farage the rising figure in UK politics? Playbook The Cabinet is meeting this morning. Here is our tee-up story about what is set to be discussed by Ministers, including the drafting of legislation prohibiting the importation of goods from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Proceedings in the Dáil kick off with Leaders' Questions at 2pm. At 3.50pm Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is expected to make a public apology on behalf of the State to the family of Shane O'Farrell, who died after being knocked off his bicycle in Co Monaghan in 2011 by a man with multiple convictions. From 6.10pm onwards the Dáil will debate a proposed Sinn Féin Bill to stop the sale of Israeli bonds through the Irish Central Bank. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris will take Parliamentary Questions at 8.10pm. TDs will have an opportunity to raise 'Topical Issues' at 9.46pm. Government business in the Seanad includes statements on the Local Democracy Taskforce. A range of Oireachtas committees will be electing their Leas-Chathaoirleach and meeting in private session. The committee on foreign affairs will hear from Minister of State for international development and diaspora Neale Richmond at 3pm. The Central Bank and ESRI will be before the committee on housing, also at 3pm. The full schedule for the Dáil, Seanad and committees can be found here: Sign up for Politics push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the Inside Politics newsletter to get our politics team's take direct to your inbox.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Steven Camley on... Scotland's housing emergency
Today's cartoon focuses on Scotland's housing emergency. See the story here. You can find Steven Camley in The Herald and online at and see more here. You can purchase Steven Camley's cartoons by calling 0191 603 0178 or visiting
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Developers move closer to building 168 flats on Caledonian brewery site
Planning officers are recommending councillors approve a proposal for 168 new homes on the site of the historic Caledonian Brewery in brewery closed in 2022 after 153 years, with the loss of 30 jobs. It was the last major brewery in the Real Estate announced its takeover of the 1.9-acre site in December development proposal includes plans to repurpose the old brewery buildings and roll-out a mix of sustainable flats and houses across the site. David Westwater, Artisan's managing director for Scotland, said: "Artisan is committed to delivering this new, sustainable residential neighbourhood in a complex and historically important city centre site, providing a healthy mix of new homes and affordable housing in line with the council's policy to help tackle the city's housing emergency."Building high-quality, sustainable homes in sensitive and unique urban sites such as the brewery site is a lengthy, complex and expensive process - but we are confident that our comprehensive proposals will set new standards for the homes-led regeneration for this historically important city centre site." The Caledonian was founded in 1869 by George Lorimer and Robert Clark. Most of the listed buildings on the site date from the late 19th to early 20th existing brewhouse and maltings were built in 1892 following designs by Edinburgh architect Robert Hamilton Paterson, who also designed the Royal Scots War Memorial in the city's St Giles took over the operation of the brewery in 2008 after acquiring Scottish & the company later said modernising the site was not financially the closure in 2022, the drinks giant struck a deal to continue making the Caledonian Brewery's main brands - Deuchars, Coast to Coast and Maltsmiths - at the Belhaven brewery in Dunbar.
