Sir, – Listening to the recent public reaction to the news that yet another housing estate has been “block purchased” by an international investment fund (surely a revelation only to those who have had their heads in the sand for the past 10 years), I would hope that the tipping point has finally been reached. Unfortunately, I fear this may be a case of hope over optimism.
When will people finally accept that this crisis is not simply a matter of supply, in the literal sense? There is a lack of supply precisely because the two main centre-right parties (each now tripping over themselves to blame the other) have been wedded to an investor and developer-led ideology for decades, where housing is seen purely as a “market” rather than as a human right. Many of our European neighbours have implemented policies which seek to change this. This Government, on the other hand, would prefer to tinker around the edges of the problem in order to avoid upsetting the financial interests of its voting base. Hopefully there is another growing voter base out there which will not be willing to tolerate this level of inertia much longer. – Yours, etc,
JESSICA FREED,
Inchicore,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – I continue to read of community objections to new housing developments of more than three or more storeys.
The usual objection is that the proposed height is inappropriate for the area. However, we all know that Dublin and, indeed, the rest of Ireland, is low rise. Therefore, “inappropriate height” could be used as objection to practically every single new development. Circumstances change, society changes, life changes. Is everybody afraid of change? Or are we all plaintively crying ”I want it the way it was”? – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY HANRAHAN
Renvyle,
Co Galway.