Sir, – John Fanning (Letters, May 25th) laments the ongoing housing crisis and urges that we "take a look at what measures have been taken by other countries". People frequently reference "other countries" when talking about the Irish housing crisis, but this is completely unhelpful.
The crisis Ireland faces is due to a problem that no other country in Europe has faced in the past 50 years – extremely rapid population growth. Between 1996 and our last census in 2016, Ireland’s population grew by 31 per cent. By contrast the growth in population in France during this period was 11 per cent, in Sweden 10 per cent, and in Germany just 1 per cent. Ireland’s peers in global terms are to be found in Africa and Asia, not Europe. India, for example, experienced 35 per cent growth.
Population growth in Ireland has occurred in every county, with Mayo seeing the least at 17 per cent – a figure that would be notable in its own right in global statistics. When you see German cities like Berlin struggling to contain soaring property prices and manage the social upheaval generated by unaffordable rents, the Irish situation must be placed in context.
There is limited benefit in looking elsewhere for solutions due to the uniqueness of Ireland’s circumstances. Doing the same things as others do and obeying the same conservative notions about housing and planning that we have followed for decades will not help us much.
Radical change is needed. This change will, of necessity, impact many of the most deeply cherished notions that have underpinned Irish society to date, including the universal aspiration to home ownership, the right to inherit property, the notion that property values should not decrease, the value of conservation of existing buildings, the preservation of skylines and views, and the social acceptance of new norms for the kinds of homes that people live in.
The established Ireland of home-owners (and their offspring awaiting inheritances) do not want radical change. The growing generations of homeless families demand it. Something will have to give. – Yours, etc,
JOHN THOMPSON,
Phibsboro,
Dublin 7.