Generation priced out of Ireland’s failed housing system, Sinn Féin TD says (2024)

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Cate McCurry

The Times

Generation priced out of Ireland’s failed housing system, Sinn Féin TD says (2)

Cate McCurry

The Times

A generation of workers has been locked out of home ownership because of Ireland’s broken housing system, a Sinn Féin TD has said.

Pearse Doherty said the report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) on the cost of delivering apartments in Dublin made for grim reading.

The report, released earlier this week, showed that the cost of a two-bed apartment is about €359,000 for a low-rise in the suburbs, rising to €619,000 for a high-rise unit in the city centre.

Mr Doherty said that a working couple would need a deposit of €36,000 and to have a gross income of more than €90,000 in order to buy the cheapest apartment mentioned in the report.

“The cheapest apartments in Dublin city centre were a staggering €439,000 — to buy that property, the couple would need a deposit of €44,000 and a gross salary of €112,000,” Mr Doherty said.

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“These prices are beyond the reach of the vast majority of workers and families in the state. Under the watch of Fine Gael in government the price of homes has risen so high that working people on good incomes can no longer afford to buy their own home.

“An entire generation of workers have been locked out of home ownership.”

He said that 70 per cent of the apartments in the report are not even for sale.

“They’re being developed on a build-to-rent market, snapped up by institutional investors, vulture funds or so-called cuckoo funds, who are exploiting the scarcity of housing to turn over massive profits,” he said.

“The rents they charge are excessive and a disgrace. If ever there was proof of how broken your housing system is, then this is it.”

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Leo Varadkar, the tánaiste, acknowledged that the cost of housing in Ireland is “far too high”, especially for those who want to buy their first home.

He added: “That’s particularly so in the cities, and that is particularly so in central Dublin.”

Mr Varadkar accused Sinn Féin of tackling the housing crisis in principle but being against it in practice. He claimed the party’s record on social housing in the Republic’s local authorities and in Northern Ireland was “very poor”.

Mr Varadkar said that Eoghan Murphy, the former minister for housing, added 6,000 units to the country’s social housing stock in 2019.

“North of the border, where Sinn Féin is in government and has been in government for 13 years of the last 20 years, provided much less social housing on a per capita basis,” he told the Dáil.

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“Sinn Féin provided less social housing that Eoghan Murphy did in 2019, that is your record and that is a verifiable fact.

“When it comes to private housing, we need to build more of that because people need homes to buy because people want to own their own home in Ireland.”

He accused Sinn Féin councillors of voting against zoning land for housing, housing developments and mixed housing.

Mr Varadkar also said that rent pressure zones had been successful in slowing rent inflation.

Mr Doherty denied that his party has opposed any social or affordable housing developments in Dublin.

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“Seriously tánaiste, what planet are you living on? Seriously, it’s time for you to get your head out of the sand,” he said.

“You’ve been in government for ten years, you’ve been a taoiseach for a period of that time, yet you try to blame everybody else for a part of this issue, but it doesn’t wash.

“The reality is, this is your housing crisis, the reality is it costs €439,000 to buy the cheapest apartment in Dublin city under your government.”

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Generation priced out of Ireland’s failed housing system, Sinn Féin TD says (2024)

FAQs

How many houses will be built in Ireland in 2024? ›

The Government will deliver 40,000 new houses in 2024, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has promised. The Environment Minister has said that the Government will deliver beyond the existing housing targets for this year. Under Housing for All, the delivery target for 2024 is 33,450 new build houses.

Is Ireland facing a housing crisis? ›

Ireland is currently facing a housing crisis due to decreasing investment and a rising population. Ireland house prices could continue rising for the near future, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight.

How much is an apartment in Ireland? ›

Housing Costs in Ireland

The monthly rent for a one-bedroom in the city center is USD$1,700-$2,100, while a three-bedroom is USD$2,950-$3,600. Even outside of the city center, costs are steep, with a three-bedroom renting for USD$2,350-$2,900 per month.

How to fix the housing crisis in Ireland? ›

Current Government Initiatives

The Irish government has introduced a number of initiatives to address the housing crisis, including: Housing for All: A government plan to increase the supply of affordable housing by 33,000 new homes per year.

What percentage of Irish own homes? ›

The trend in home ownership and renting between 2016 and 2022 was similar to the trend between 2011 to 2016. Home ownership rates fell as the total number of households living in rental accommodation increased to over half a million. The proportion of owner occupied dwellings was 66% in 2022, down from 68% in 2016.

How many houses are empty in Ireland? ›

Vacancy by Dwelling Type and County

In total, 130,469 houses and 32,964 flats/apartments (including bed-sits) were vacant on the night of the census in 2022. Between the 2016 and 2022 censuses, the number of vacant flats and apartments fell by 24% from 43,192 while the number of vacant houses fell by 7% from 140,120.

Why are so many people homeless in Ireland? ›

Over-Reliance on the Private Rental Market

Record rents have pushed lower income families and people into homelessness. Exacerbating this problem, the Irish rental market is still characterised as one in which tenants lack long-term security of tenure and rent certainty when compared to other European countries.

Why are houses so expensive in Ireland? ›

Housing Market

supply of homes and a high demand from both local residents and international investors. Renting a property in Dublin can be particularly expensive, especially in popular areas like the city center. live in Dublin, it is important to budget a significant portion of your income towards housing costs.

Why is rent so high in Ireland? ›

Rents are expected to rise this year due to the high level of demand and input cost inflation, such as soaring energy bills, for constructing units. The viability of new apartment development is a key concern for the real estate market in Ireland this year, according to commercial property specialists CBRE.

What is a good salary in Ireland? ›

If you're living alone, a good salary to live with in Dublin would be at least €50,000 per year (€4,167 per month) before taxes. If you're the sole breadwinner of a family of three, a good salary would be twice that amount, around €90,000 – €100,000 annually (€7,500 – €8,333 per month).

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Ireland? ›

A salary of around €6,000 per month is estimated to be sufficient for a family to live comfortably in Ireland. This amount will cover the basic expenses such as rent, food, transportation, healthcare, and utilities.

Is 3000 euro a good salary in Ireland? ›

Depending on your needs rents for a basic apartment start at 1500 euro so 3000 will get you by but you will not be living in luxury!

What is the average house price in Ireland? ›

Housing prices during 2023 rose by an average of 3.4%, the smallest increase since 2019. The typical listed price nationwide in the final three months of the year was €320,046, 1.5% lower than in the third quarter and roughly 14% below the Celtic Tiger peak.

Why is Ireland having a housing crisis? ›

Ireland's housing shortage is driven by a number of factors but one underlying cause is a lack of state investment in social housing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ireland saw a rapid expansion of private construction as banks were eager to grant huge loans - a landmark of the Celtic Tiger boom period.

Is there a housing crash coming Ireland? ›

Though it's unlikely that there'll be a housing crash in Ireland, the current housing crisis has continued to rage. With a significant supply shortage and a large number of homeless, something certainly needs to be done in order to stabilise our housing market.

How many houses are built in Ireland each year? ›

CIS Housing figures

CIS reports that 29,890 housing units were completed in 2023, which it says is an increase of 15% on the previous year, with the overall figure split between just over 25,000 units within scheme housing and apartment developments across nearly 1,000 sites and with 4,855 single dwellings built.

Will construction costs go down in 2024 Ireland? ›

However, access to skilled labour, securing a healthy profit margin and the increased cost of raw materials remain the three most significant challenges facing the industry. "Overall construction investment in Ireland is forecast to increase by 4% in 2024," said CIF Director General, Hubert Fitzpatrick.

Will house prices drop in Ireland in 2024? ›

The 2024 residential property review and outlook survey carried out by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) found that 63 per cent of its members believe house prices have either peaked and should start to decline or are close to peaking and will level off soon.

How many houses do we need to build in Ireland? ›

The Government's Housing for All plan aims to build an average of 33,000 homes a year between now and 2030, although the housing minister has admitted that closer to 40,000 new-builds would be needed to meet demand.

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