Minister has no plan to address apartment viability
Under questioning from Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan in the Dáil today, Housing Minister James Browne failed to provide any solution to increasing apartment delivery.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“We have a crisis when it comes to delivering a mix of housing stock in this country. Last year, approvals for apartments dropped by 39%. With The Irish Times now reporting that the Croí Cónaithe cities scheme has only delivered 17% of its target, it’s clear that we need a new approach to delivering homes.
“Under questioning in the Dáil today, the Minister agreed with me that apartment construction viability is a huge issue, saying it has effectively “collapsed”, yet offered nothing by way of a solution to this crisis.
“Rather than grasping the nettle, the Minister reiterated that he is waiting on yet another report. But where are the new measures? The Minister himself agreed that we need to take radical action, yet he seems wed to the same tried and failed housing policies that have brought us to this mess.
“There has been no shortage of housing schemes but little to no real delivery of homes for those who desperately need them. Take Limerick for example. Rents have risen by 19% and house prices are up by more than 10%.
“When will Fianna Fáil wake up to the fact that these schemes are badly designed and far too expensive to deliver affordability for people?
“The trends in housing are all going in the wrong direction. The failure to make apartment construction viable means that the delivery of homes continues to fall, and raises serious concerns for the long-term supply of housing. The Minister needs to do more than nod and agree. We need a change of approach to make apartment construction viable.”