Sir, – John Mulcahy is quoted as saying that in the UK, the system where the local authority has land and brings in a private developer "works very well" ("Is the State any good at building houses?", Business, September 15th).
It might work well for the developer, but the result has been thousands of identikit houses for private sale, with room sizes among the smallest in Europe. Before debate was stifled by Brexit, a healthier and more sustainable model was being promoted, and which included social housing – the revival of garden cities and suburbs, in which light, air and green space is as integral to housing design as “bricks and mortar”. This is surely the kind of healthy, imaginative, and mixed housing that the Land Development Agency should stipulate for its land? – Yours, etc,
TRICIA CUSACK,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – A HSE for housing? We can see how well it worked out for health! – Yours, etc,
BRIAN MURPHY,
Dublin 18.