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THE NARRATIVE ON the housing crisis took an Orwellian turn recently when Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys announced that a new pension scheme would be needed to allow ‘generation rent’ to afford housing upon their retirement.
The scheme is partly in response to an ERSI think tank report from 2021 stating that home ownership in Ireland is in big decline, although it had been becoming clearer to the public and to the Government over the past few years that there will be a cohort of people unable to pay rent under the current pension scheme in the future.
The pension scheme as it currently stands has already been deemed “unsustainable” and many talks have centred around raising the pension age to ease some of the financial burdens on the State. This is a worrying prospect for Ireland as a country, as already there is a higher rate of poverty for over 65s, according to ALONE, than there was at the time of the economic crash in 2008. What will it be like in two decades?
Talking about my generation
As a member of ‘generation rent’, to hear the government proposing a scheme like this is immediately frustrating and deeply disheartening. It’s almost as if politicians in Ireland have resigned to the fact that there are many who will be locked out of home ownership for life.
The Government’s attitude to the housing crisis seems to show that this problem is somehow unsolvable and that nothing can or will be done about it.
Despite the publication of the Government’s Housing for All plan last September, and a promise that 300,000 houses would be delivered by 2030 (which is 33,000 per year), there is still frustration among every age group about the accessibility and affordability of housing.
There is a dark cloud hanging above the nation and it tells us that there is not enough being done, and it is not being done quickly enough. House prices increased by 14.4% throughout 2021, which is almost back to Celtic Tiger levels, and it’s being estimated that the current house price inflation will stay in double digits throughout the rest of 2022.
Creaking at the seams
The idea that the Government are going to start taxing the owners of vacant properties around the country will prove insufficient to get people into homes, as many of those buildings are derelict and will require huge amounts of money to refurbish.
There is also the belief that the Government’s Housing for All plan will not be sufficient to meet the needs of the country. According to a Social Justice Ireland report last year, the 90,000 social homes promised under the housing plan would not be enough to “eliminate homelessness by 2030” as the Government has promised.
Even if those 90,000 social homes are delivered by 2030, there were 61,880 people on social housing lists in 2020. In the last week of January 2022, there were 9,150 people in homeless emergency accommodation. Adding these figures to the expected 40,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war to Ireland and a promise to house 6,723 asylum seekers who are still currently in Direct Provision, the strain on the current housing crisis is going to get a lot worse in the coming months and years.
The Department of Housing admitted in an internal document last year that it would be 2025 before they reach their own housing targets. This shows again that there is no vision at the top among the political class for an Ireland where home ownership will become a public good anytime soon.
Schemes such as a second savings pension are being proposed instead of solving the crisis, suggesting the government would rather create a quick fix to counter the problem down the line than solve it in the present. For nearly a decade already we’ve been told that the housing crisis cannot and will not be fixed overnight – and it looks like it still won’t be fixed by 2030.
We are generation rent
I’m not currently living in Ireland, having emigrated to Brussels back in October. The further away from Ireland I am, the more I realise how unsustainable and broken the housing situation is. The constant bad news about the lack of supply and rising rents is despairing, and it’s as if we’ve been in a constant crisis since 2014.
The weekly pantomimes in the Dáil between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin surrounding housing are also not helping, blaming one another for objection to housing at local levels, instead of showing enough leadership to solve the lack of housing on a united front.
The system needs to be innovated, and real solutions need to be provided faster than they ever have before. It’s as if the concept of bold political thinking, anything that looks like vision, is a thing of the past. Why is this the case? We’re a well-educated country but when it comes to making the big moves to fix housing, healthcare and those crucial parts of our society, career politicians who have been in and out of Government over the past 20 years like to keep us thinking inside the box.
Are there many young people who are directly affected by these issues truly represented in Government? When we really consider the disproportion in the age groups of those making the most important decisions in society, it’s no wonder there are still many obstacles in the way of change.
No one is demanding that these crises be solved overnight or suggesting that they will be easy to change. However, the Government is trying to solve this housing crisis using outdated Celtic Tiger models – something that clearly isn’t working and will never work.
Our financial system is so damaged from the 2008 crash, but it remains the only show in town that is effectively locking my generation out of the property market among other things. Not to mention that our planning system is so flawed and outdated that it seems anyone can stop development just on a whim. Comparing Ireland to Europe, the answer seems clear: do we really have any choice left but to aim for higher builds at this stage? Building more high-rise apartments at affordable prices in cities instead of hotels would at least provide permanent living situations for the many people around the country who need them.
I also can’t fathom why in 2022 it’s still so expensive to build in Ireland when there are alternatives to bricks and mortar – it’s possible these days to print a home, and if you’re lucky enough, you could build a cabin in your parents’ garden. Housing that is not ideal in my view is better than no housing at all – at least then you’d avoid the awkward questioning from your parents as to why you’re only home at 6 am when the clubs can finally open that late.
On a more serious note, the least ‘generation rent’ deserves is independence and to be able to hit developmental milestones like settling down and starting a family in a safe and secure setting that they call their own. Government should be facilitating policy discussions at least around housing alternatives. What has it got to lose at this stage?
Decentralisation of major companies from Dublin would not only take immense pressure off the capital but also revitalise rural Ireland. If the Government used public land to build social and public housing instead of allowing private developers to take over, they could ensure that rent prices would be controlled and renters would not be gouged out of their means.
It just takes the proper vision and political drive for that to happen, which unfortunately seems unlikely anytime soon. In the meantime, my generation will just continue to eat our avocado toast, skip to the gym and watch Netflix, right? Who needs a plan for the future anyway.
Conor Brummell is a young communications professional and freelance journalist. He has just completed a Schuman Traineeship in the European Parliament.
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I have a home and am one of the fortunate ones. However, I fear for the future of our towns and communities. Renting means people don’t set down roots and by nature are transient. We need our government to take investors out of the equation. I will probably vote for Sinn Fein to see if they can solve this singular issue as FG haven’t been able to do it. I usually vote FG but this is such a big issue we need a change.
@Rob Jones: it’s not that they’ve been unable to solve it, they don’t want to solve it. There are a myriad of things that can be done to improve the situation. Yes they’re not overnight solutions but they haven’t even started. What they have done is brought in schemes under the guise of helping that actually made the problem worse which shows it’s deliberate.
@The Guru: Do people like you prefer a conspiracy theory over the truth because reality is too mundane?
Our current market is just a result of a number of historical factors – the recession, NAMA, non-lending banks, massive FDI and immigration.
@Cynical: It’s incredibly disingenuous of you to accuse The Guru of conspiracy theories when the lived experience of a whole generation says otherwise. Outside factors have played a role for sure but government policy has only continued to make the problem worse and that’s when they’ve actually bothered to try anything. When every action the government takes works for the interests of investors and property owners then it’s more then reasonable to question their motives.
@Cynical: “the recession” was 14 years ago. I’m talking about the present which is where most of us are living. There are many things that can be done right now to improve the situation. Ireland is supposedly one of the best economies in Europe yet its a horrible place for young people to live right now.
@The Guru: The recession may have been 14 years ago but we are still feeling the effects of it, we now have banks that aren’t lending for housing developments to the same level as before, we had years of very little building after the banks collapsed (both social and private), we had to enter an IMF funding programme so didn’t have the tax take or borrowing capability to build housing. People didn’t want even more cuts/taxes at the time of the crash, they rather it was spread out over years. We also increased our population over the last decade (both Irish returning and new immigrants) pushing up demand for housing also.
Having said all that there are things the government could have done sooner like the changes in the Fair Deal scheme (why we want people to inherit unearned wealth at the cost of society is another agruement), redeuce the building standards (we should also have public inspectors to ensure standards are met, look at the mica, pyrite scandals as extra costs on the taxpayer), reform the planning zoning system, implement a proper vacant site tax etc.
@Cynical: It’s no conspiracy, the majority of FF & FG voters are older property owners who appreciate the work those parties have done to increase the value of their primary asset. Actually fixing the problem would see a dramatic reduction in “asset” value.
The question facing those older property owner at the next election is whether they’d rather be selfish boomers and think of their greed or if they’d like to actually give younger generations the same opportunities they had. So far they seem to be choosing greed.
@Rochelle: The older property owner is typically a parent/grandparent to the younger generation. Why would they chose greed over the interests of their children? I doubt many older people don’t want new houses to be built, leaving their children in debt, to increase the value of their own home. I’ve never met one who thinks like (and I’m not particularly old). Building more houses is the only answer and that is very difficult to achieve in the short-term.
@Rob Jones: I’m still trying to get my head around the stamp duty exemption that FFG gave to the cuckoo funds, what was their motive to enact such a despicable proposal?
@Mickey Finn: You say that but those same old people will vote FF/FG next election to maintain these policies. Call it greed or ignorance or whatever you want but they will.
@Cynical: You forgot one or two factors like the fact that all our “centrist” mainstream parties now follow extreme neo liberal economic policies and just as water never flows uphill voters will have to accept that they voted for policies to shrink government, cut taxes and strip out regulations.
I think its all working out very well for rich people at least. The magic of the market will ensure all works out well in the end just like the free trade policies did during the Famine. The young will be forced to leave because they cannot live in hedgerows. Ireland will become again a country for old men and women living in poverty….with no pensions being paid by young taxpayers. The financial and political elites will live abroad in tax havens as absentee landlords.
@Mickey Finn: If we did not live in a free market neo liberal fantasyland we would see, as has been pointed out many times, that the government could raise a bond to finance local authorities house building for sale to applicants below a certain income at about 200 to 250000 euros a unit. This policy was successful in Dublin in the 60′s and 70′s and nobody thought it communism, it was just social democratic and supported by Fianna Fail and Labour.
If there was a survey done on wealth, determined on what people actually had in their back account. We’d probably be one of the poorest countries in Europe. We seem wealthy visually. Good cars, decent houses, and a reasonable standard of living. But 99% of us are paying for all of these things by loans. On the 1st of each month. There’s a purge on bank accounts by direct debit and we’re left scratching our heads wondering how we’ll survive until the next wage comes in. Back in the 80s and 90s, there was mass unemployment. Yet we were probably better off financially then than we are now.
@Dave Johnston: This analysis already exists Dave. We are 17th in the world at present. 11th within the EU region.
@Thomas Kearns: But it’s not an accurate interpretation of actual wealth. Most of the people I know are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
@Dave Johnston: “most people I know” is not an accurate interpretation of anything.
There is a tendency amongst people to discount everything that doesn’t accord with their own personal experiences regardless of how factual those other exercises are.
Ask yourself how many of the 5 million people on the island you actually know? Now look at the fact that personal household deposits climbed from 3.7bn to 5.4bn during the pandemic.
It’s fairly obvious that we are a relatively wealthy country (though there is a wealth desparity). There are more comfortably off people in Ireland than your narrow experience would lead you to believe.
@Dave Johnston: I understand that and I know people it that situation also. But the research that was done is accurate to understand the actual net wealth of both the average and median of the population. The high net worth individuals could impact the averages but the median is a very good indicator and that’s the figures I referenced earlier. Its not saying we are in a good position but more of an indicator that we are not alone in this and these issues are worldwide and others may be even worse off.
@Lee King Buckett: I herby apologise for my uneducated comment my good man. I am tilting my hat to your superior knowledge of the situation as I write my illiterate nonsense reply.
@Thomas Kearns: I hate that attitude; “sure it’s worse in other countries”. Never mind other countries. They all have different environments and dynamics. Our country is perfectly set up to run housing well for everyone. It used to function very well in that regard. It could have continued that way but government have since changed the system and that leaves us in the dire position we have today.
@Dave Johnston: But of a pity that’s what you took from my comment really. You made a statement, someone helpfully replied with a factual answer and then you dismissed the factual answer based on some people you know.
I simply pointed out that this as a bias we have and you’d be better off analysing the facts. If you did that, you’d arrive at the real problem in the country which is wealth inequality.
I didn’t call you ignorant or illiterate at all but have a good day in any case.
@Dave Johnston: unfortunately that’s the same or worse in most of the other countries around Europe. Kids in Italy live with their parents into their 40s as they can’t afford their own place. We are not that different to the rest of Europe.
@Thomas Kearns: not the people who work in your local store eg Tesco who actually earn less than their brethren in northern Ireland.
@Dave Johnston: That’s a pretty petty response. Try and argue the facts rather than throwing your toys or of the pram.
@Thomas Kearns: But do they include the billionaires? Because if they do then that ‘Wealth ‘ is in the pockets of very few!
It’s not just younger people, I’m in my forties and contemplating emigrating again as I’m sick of giving half my wages to the landlord and know I’ll never be able to buy a decent place here
If people are being forced to rent and cannot ever own their own home, what will happen when renters become pensioners? How are people expected to pay whopping rents in retirement, its so unfair on people.
@Niamh Brady: Social housing with long-term security of of tenure and low controlled rents (i.e., no profit involved) is a solution
Introducing tax relief for renters could be done overnight , and make a significant difference to the net cost of rent. This government doesn’t seem to want to help young people starting out.
@Brendan Barr: I wonder if a tax cut would not just result in more inflation in rent prices and bring us back to the start?
We probably also need to regulate the ROI of landlords to balance between making investment attractive, providing incentive to invest in maintenance but at the same time capping returns. But that sort of regulation is tricky and do far has not worked well.
At the same time strict enforcement of landlords’ obligations to deliver high living standards in rental properties as well as the obligations of renters to look after the he property is needed. Again – not easy. We are supposed to have that now but I have neighbours who rent and they can tell stories about hot that doesn’t work.
@Simon Fitzpatrick: yep. Without regulation, any tax breaks or any other measures get swallowed up the moment investors decide at their whim to raise the rent. And they usually do raise then when measures come in. Any government measure ends up just funnelling more tax payer money into private investors.
@Simon Fitzpatrick: the biggest change government could make is allow private renters to set up a company to rent their houses out and charge 20% tax on the profits same as in the UK. You’ll find most people renting one or two houses to cover their pension are only looking for enough rent to cover the mortgage and repairs so if they didn’t have to pay 50% tax then their would be less pressure to raise prices.
The country needs good landlords too as buying isn’t for everyone. All the rules and protections brought in for tenants make being a landlord in this country very unattractive hence why landlords have left the sector in their droves over the last number of years meaning less properties for rent and soaring rents due to the resulting supply demand disparity.
@Simon Fitzpatrick: Back in the mid 1970s a £1000 new house grant was introduced by the Dept of the Environment for first time buyers of new build houses. I’ll give you three guesses what happened – yup, fairly quickly new house prices rose by – £1000.
We have a number of problems at the moment – free market pricing, the growing drop in owner occupation, the fact that our housing stock is being provided and effectively mined by investors & mortgages are not easily acquired. Also our local authorities seem have lost the will to build and are renting in the private market.
Until some government has the courage to make positive legislative changes and to enforce them the notion of owning your own home will no longer be possible for the majority of the population.
Things will only change when the government of landlords get purged and we have Irish people that treat housing as homes and not a financial investment for their retirement.
Doubt things will change given what we are like now.
@Paul Cunningham: That’s simple to achieve. Persuade most people to vote for non-landlord TDs. The government is formed by the TDs we elect and that would purge them. This change can be implemented by 20th Febuary 2025 at the absolute latest (last possible date for the next general election).
The government sat back and allowed Nama sold land to the likes of the Comer brothers to build apartments in blocks as rent only. Absolute scandal created, designed and delivered by FFG and partners that includes these independents with their eyes on Kerry roads etc.
Nama land was and is being paid off by us as heavily weighted debt from the financial crash, we will pay for this for generations more.
Then they rent it back to us just stop and think about how unfair and almost criminal this is by our elected politicians.
You will own nothing and be happy.
Also weird that there is a sponsored Daft article above this with a house for 1.75 million.
Homeownership under 30 has dropped from 60% to 24% since the early 2000′s. House prices have skyrocketed and wages have largely stagnated. Smug boomers can blame it on avocados and lattes all they want but the fact is their generation were able to buy houses with single incomes or with jobs that were considered “unskilled”. They just can’t accept that they’re the first generation to leave the world a worse place for their kids.
@Liam Edward Harris: equality of opportunity for women means most women now work too which means when it comes to buying houses most single income families are competing with couples not other single income people. I don’t think anyone wants to go back to a place where women can’t work again?
@Liam Edward Harris: You’re right. My sister could buy her home as a single parent and get a 100% mortgage and she has an average income. This was 2007. Not in a million years could you do that now.
The money being made out of housing and rents in this country is disgusting and obscene…..nothing will change there is powerful people benefiting and there tied in with politicians
They don’t care about Irish people..
Will SF Take this cartel on,maybe…we’ll see
Is there any reason why we couldn’t make domestic housing non investible (limit people to buy a primary and holiday home at most) thereby decreasing demand and forcing all commercial interests to sell their housing (REITS, get the boat), I understand that people who have big mortgages won’t like that (me included). We shouldn’t be allowed to profit off people’s health and security (that’s a no to private health insurance too from me) For me the individualistic profit driven society at the moment has more cons than pros especially facing into climate challenges and other geo political issues.
@Cormac Maher: We should also look at your business or your employer’s business and ask if people should have to pay for that.
@Roger Bond: I’m not sure what you mean by your comment but I’m simply proposing that people who want to invest their money why not try the myriad of other commodities out there. Is it not lazy to have to rely on outside investment of property and foreign direct investment all the time to prop up the economy? There are incentives that could be made to encourage SME’s and education in emerging markets areas. I just think that it is a tired argument from unimaginative people to say no to anything that might benefit society and while yes it would be a big change, sometimes the answers aren’t what would be best for the immediate economy. Long term thinking is far too often overlooked.
Well voiced.
I walked this road back in 1998. Once again I am disgusted that as we hit peak house prices, now the Government Again starts to build again Repeating the 1990′s and it was never to the benefit of the Buyer.
In the 90′s the FF Government did the ‘my hand are tied routine’ awaiting a report called the Bacon report, houses were flying upwards in price, then they commissioned the second Bacon report more my hands are tied. Then when the dot com burst came and the bubble began to implode they were ery Quick Then to sanctioned 100% mortgage to push in more air.
My point to you is that I cannot say if this is by design, but again history is repeating itself and it’s to the benefit of the buisness element of the sector and not the consumer.
Until people change the government totally as a deselection of the current path then they will continue to feast on your labour. I have kids in this country and I have them heading into this investor turkey shoot, So I have made that choice..
I’d like to see a comparison done with our preference to own a property and other cities/countries where long term (30yr+) leases and fixed rents are the norm. Long term leases provide stability. One of the major problems with our system is short term leases.
@Paul Clancy: and what if the tenant wants to move on after eleven years do they still have to continue paying rent for the next nineteen years?
@Sean: that’s your reply to my comment… a “what if”? Of course the rental contracts have exit clauses.
@Sean: We have such a system in Germany and it works quite well. Moving is no problem. You sign a new lease for the apartment or house you are moving into and the same happens with the new tenants who are going to rent where you used to live. There are strict laws regarding rent increases and evictions which protect the renter and make it unnecessary to buy for security reasons.
The Government can talk all the nonsense they like but how many apprentices are there at the moment, there are very few young people in construction
The pension piece is being incorrectly quoted. The minister never said that the auto enrolled pension was being brought in to pay for housing.
What she said was that young people would not be in a position to provide for their futures because the housing crisis was sucking up all their money.
I’m not excusing the government for the housing shambles by any means but I think it’s really important that the auto enrolled pension (which is a very good thing for workers) is not painted in a bad light or used as a scapegoat for governmental failures in other areas.
@Lee King Buckett: the main issue with the forced pension enrolment is that a lot of people can’t afford to contribute to it. People who can, seem to not take that onboard. We live in an age where people only see things from their own perspective.
@Rob Gale: most people earning over 20k can afford 1.5% of their wages especially when you consider what’s being added to it.
@Lee King Buckett: That works out at about €10 per week. Not worth a stocking of s*** even after 30 years.
@David Corrigan: starts at a tenner plus a tenner from the employer plus a fiver from the government – that’s 100 per month from 20 odd years of age upwards.
It increases to 6% plus 6% plus 1% over the coming years and amounts to a considerable sum on retirement.
The fact that people seem to think its not worth starting is precisely the reason that the government are making it mandatory.
@Lee King Buckett: many people spend more than half their wages on rent. Then there’s utilities(which are increasing in price) , bins, groceries(also more expensive), potentially transport. Telling these people that €10 isn’t a lot is an insult
@Lee King Buckett: The tenner included the contribution.
@Liam Edward Harris: Like I said, anyone on under 20k doesn’t get opted in. Those on over 20k can find a tenner a week for their retirement. It’s two pints or 15 cigarettes or two breakfast rolls, 3 cups of coffee.
People can afford it, they just don’t like going without things now for benefits that they won’t see for a long period. Hence the mandatory nature of it.
@David Corrigan: but that’s not an accurate reflection as it ignores the fact that it rises to 6% over the next few years and it also assumes that the worker stays on 20k forever – neither of which are true.
@David Corrigan: especially if we have another financial crash or war or recession when the value of your pension will drop dramatically, particularly if this happens around the time you are due to cash in
@Ian James Burgess: If you are close to retirement then your pension will be sitting in a cash fund where it won’t fall in value so you should probably stop with the half truths as it will put people off needlessly.
@Lee King Buckett: I can afford it now, because I ended up homeless and had to move home with my parents. Before moving home with my parents, or if I moved out now, I wouldn’t be able to afford €10 a week for something as luxurious as a pension.
BTW, I don’t smoke. I spend no more than €1.50 per month on booze. I’ve never eaten a breakfast roll. I also don’t drink tea or coffee. Neither at home nor anywhere else. I spend €2 per fortnight on chocolate. I have given up nextflix and Disney+, because I dont use Disney enough and netflix now costs more than I happy to spend since the increase. I was on the most basic package. I’ve cancelled Spotify for now, because I’m not listening to it atm. The only sub I’m keeping is for a game I play. It’s €12 per month.
BTW, before I became homeless, I had cut all subs I had, and was only using money towards rent, food and bills. I’d even given up my health insurance.. which leas to me shelling out most of my €1k savings on a procedure a few weeks after dropping it, because if I had gone publicly, I would have been waiting 3+ years. At the point I had the procedure, I was 8 months dealing with a serious issue, which almost led to me offing myself. 3+ years would not have been possible, mentally speaking.
Shortly after my savings were depleted, my costs for the basics went up again, another couple of hundred a month. Which I didn’t have.
So.. its possible to earn over 20k a year, and not be able to afford 10 per week. I was at that point in 2019. I had weeks were I had to borrow money from friends and colleagues to afford food.
@Lee King Buckett:
Two things:
1) its great for the pension industry. There should be a government pension scheme managed by government officials instead of paying money to private companies who are going to be creaming it in on the back of this move.
2) this auto enrolment will mean less jobs in this country as its going to cost the employer more to employ people. This move makes outsourcing to other jurisdictions even more attractive.
@Anthony Guinnessy: Firstly, the entire scheme will be centrally administered by the government. Pension company’s will not be involved at all. The administrators will commission specific funds and dictate the maximum charges that can be applied.
Secondly, re outsourcing, that’s pure conjecture and totally unfounded. Most companies who are in the position to be able to outsource already offer schemes far in excess of the proposed government one. The vast majority of employers that this scheme will affect are in the domestic services industry and can’t outsource their workforce.
Furthermore, we have heard this argument everytime the minimum wage is increased and, guess what – it was completely false.
@Rob Gale: the auto enrolment pension allows you to opt out. It isn’t mandatory.
@Lee King Buckett: yee money going to be invested for free? Its going to add up to billions and even 1% of that is a huge amount of a windfall for the financial services sector not to mention the boost to the equities market that this extra money is being pushed into.
@feargal de cantuin: my understanding is the opt out is only for people on low wages and is quite cumbersome, can only be done after 6 months and needs to be done every 6 months. They will refund your contributions after tye 6 months but you have to actively look for it. Your employers contributions aren’t returned however
@Anthony Guinnessy: like I said, the management fee will be capped. Also, global equity markets are about 100 trillion dollars, the Irish scheme won’t do much to ‘boost’ them.
I think most of your issue with the scheme is down to the fact that you’ll have to pay a bit more to your employees and rather than be outright about that, you’re trying to pick holes in pension schemes.
Why not just be honest?
@Lee King Buckett: based on no info there. You’ve no idea what people are going thru, or what they can and can’t afford.
It’s honestly just so difficult to imagine a future in Ireland anymore. It feels as if this country just doesn’t want young people anymore.
There are advantages to renting and also disadvantages, back in the olden days lol, I had to work one full-time job and one part-time job to get my deposit for a house and when the interest rates went to 14/15% I had to take up a part-time job again, It was not easy then and not easy now, there is no use whingeing, If people want action they have to take to the streets like The anti-water protest
@George Demo: well said George and we had no yearly holidays then either and were lucky to have one car between us. As you say, stop moaning about what you don’t have. Life is about what YOU make it.
1. The right to a home should be in the constitution. The debate will inform the narritive of why the market cannot solve this problem..
2. The progressive tax on earned income should be doubled for unearned income…ie rentiers
3. Housing units or segments must be designed by our best architects and built in a factory…think logo.
4. Implement the Justice Kenny Report on land.
5. Introduce a tax on capital to Increase the public purse …to fund the objectives.
@Fergus Quinlan: can you define what the constitutional amendment would consist of?
@Paul Clancy: No, because Fergus doesn’t have any ideas of his own, he just repeats everything that Claire Daly says.
@Fergus Quinlan:
For 1) why should anyone be “entitled” to a home. Get off your rear and work for it like everyone else.
for 2) is the point to drive up rents by forcing landlords to look for more rent to cover their costs associated with letting people live in their properties?
3) do you not think the major companies that are spending billions building housing would be building them cheaper if they could?
4) won’t comment on it as I’ve only seen excerpts of it so I’m not qualified to give an opinion.
5) so tax people on what they have worked hard to save and what they have already paid tax on before they saved the capital? That’s sounds extremely fair.
@Fergus Quinlan: Agree but not Right to a Home as such. Rather People before Property like the German Constitution , French … stable housing markets.
A Referendum on housing was proposed in 1974 and again in 2014 by the Constitutional Convention. A Referendum would have prevented the 2008 CRASH and will prevent the next one. The badly defective Irish Constitution must be fixed to solve Irish recurring housing messes.
No housing crash occurred in France, Germany … etc. The Irish 2008 crash was due solely to its daft Irish Constitution which protects private property above all else.
German Constitution does not mention housing but ….
A particular property interest should ONLY be protected in law to the extent that the interest immediately serves other, primary constitutional values, in particular, human dignity (need for shelter / housing) and self-governance , self actualisation.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/06/how-germany-achieved-stable-and-affordable-housing.html
@Anthony Guinnessy: I will only address no. 1. Those who have inherited homes or money have not worked hard for their homes. Plenty of people work very hard and still cannot afford housing. Being homeless or in insecure housing also has a serious effect on one’s physical and mental health and one’s ability to work. A constitutional amendment will not create housing out of nothing but will mean that the government is required to prioritise housing especially for the most vulnerable and would serve as a counter to the right to property that is always given as a reason why the rental market cannot be regulated.
What we need is high quality apartments and dozens of 20-30 storey buildings. The addiction of most Irish folks to owning houses rather than apartments is the reason for all this mess. Build up like any other developed major city and prices should start plateauing. Most untraveled uninformed folks keep opposing building apartments and blaming governments for not doing enough. Ban housing estates in Dublin and Commuter towns and subsidise apartment building- This problem will vanish.
Renters Refrain
21 and earning Well,
I’ll get the key for Sure
Found my house and pressed the Bell.
But instead I got the Door.
Why m’Lord should I pay Rent
To pay YOUR mortgage Debt
When I am barred by the Central Bank
To own a home with my own Sweat
Galway tents and golf Events
A nod, a wink, a Stroke
Let Homeless huddle in their Tents
And Renters rent till they are Broke
– NK62F
There is no joined up thinking in Government at present
A targeted visa programme could solve the problem of skilled labour. We need 1300 carpenters? Okay fast track such applications. Surely somewhere in the world has a surplus of carpenters.
No rent increases, none. For five years minimum.
Buy lumber and other materials at state level, sell for little over cost to builders on condition that savings are handed over to client.
Some fees for connecting to the grid etc are ridiculously high. Cut them down. Cut down all building red tape that doesn’t improve health and safety. Increase the objection fees to 500.
@v39e84kK: Where are those 1300 carpenters going to live? Its a chicken and egg situation. Can’t get builders to come here when they can’t afford to live here while they build.
Iv a grand house
Why doesn’t anybody say something unpopular. And not sustainable going forward just build.
“Forgotten by all on the political spectrum.” I don’t think so. I know one political party that regards housing as a national priority and will shortly be given the chance to change the disgusting funding of landlords and speculators.
have your say