Sir, – Dr Anthony Leddin suggests the establishment of a new single or regional housing authority ("Local authorities ill-equipped to build their way out of housing crisis", Opinion & Analysis, October 11th).
Is Dr Leddin or The Irish Times not aware of the fact that it is only since responsibility for housing has been transferred to the National Housing Authority that our crisis has grown? An incomprehensible decision-making process, a pattern of destruction of local government powers, huge withdrawal of funding in good times and austerity years, and an ideological opposition to social and affordable home provision have been the hallmarks of national housing policy in recent years.
The Departments of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are key obstacles to social and affordable housing in this country. Giving either of them even more control would be a recipe for further chaos and condemn those on the housing list to decades more of inactivity. – Yours, etc,
Cllr DERMOT LACEY,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.