Irish Examiner view: Housing crisis could inspire radical solutions
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick John Moran is among those looking to modular designs to provide affordable housing solutions. Picture: Keith Wiseman
It’s not easy to know what Micheál Martin should have done for the best when Donald Trump made his merry quip about our housing shortage being a “good problem” and a sign of “Ireland doing so well”.
There has been no shortage of “what he should have said” advice from political opponents and pundits alike but there are no medals to be won for picking a row just now, and the solution to a domestic crisis is not going to be found in the Oval Office. Point-scoring is simply a bit of “sound and fury, signifying nothing”.
Answers lie closer to home and have to be found if we are to reverse both the net outflow of young talent and the demoralising statistic that 40% of Irish people aged between 18 and 34 live with their parents. The failure to reach housing targets was heavily glossed over during the election campaign but that is a trick which will not work again and will not be tolerated by voters next time around.
Successive governments have stifled the rental market; the conversion of older town centre properties is sluggish; developers continue to rail against sclerotic planning procedures; large-scale projects are stymied by lack of infrastructure investment; the majority of apartment developments are focussed on Dublin. It is because of this range of obstacles that eyes are increasingly cast towards speedier and more radical solutions to normalise supply and why the concept of modular homes is back in fashion.
John Moran, who became Limerick’s first directly elected mayor last June, campaigned on a platform of being “the man with the housing plan” and is looking to modular designs to provide affordable solutions on State-owned land.
There is a particular mind-concentrator for Limerick in the shape of the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Those buildings which can be assembled in time for an influx of people seeking temporary accommodation would then become available for a wider public after the event. Seventeen sites in Limerick City are being assessed for suitability.
It’s a promising idea with the advantage of a deadline for a prestigious international event to sharpen delivery. And it’s an approach which has successful precedents. The Olympic village created for Barcelona in Poblenou in 1992 remains a prime asset for the Catalan city and although this is different in scale there are developers who will be thrilled at the profile offered by this opportunity.
There was some scoffing when the Government provided encouragement to people who wanted to build detached apartments or homes on their own property within certain conditions. Yet the provision of prefabricated or modular housing overseas carries no stigma and has been a staple form of building in some cases for more than a century.
It is almost certain that we will see more of this approach in the future. The emphasis must be on ensuring that building standards are durable and that investment can be protected.
Ireland needs to build at least 50,000 homes annually. If newer techniques can contribute 20% of that total, this idea is worth vigorous pursuit.
What’s happening in Sweden is often quoted in debates about social policies: Childcare, transport, housing, net zero, immigration — all are cited as examples of cool-headed Nordic wisdom. And until quite recently, that included the fashionable nostrum that the world is moving rapidly, and inevitably, towards the abolition of cash.
The Swedes were early adopters and strong advocates of digital payments, to the applause of some. But no longer.
Despite high use of smart cards and mobile phone payments, dependence on electronic banking is, rightly, seen as a threat to national security. Online fraud has become the fastest growing crime in the nation.
Every home has received a brochure from the defence ministry advising people to use cash regularly and keep a week’s supply to “strengthen preparedness”. Sweden’s central bank says that safety and accessibility “are at least as important” as efficiency.
In Britain, campaigners are preparing a legal challenge against shops and services which refuse to accept cash. After years of decline the number of customers using it has risen to a four-year high. A 2023 YouGov poll said 71% of adults would support laws which required businesses to receive cash. An increasing number of MPs agree it is a fundamental right.
In Ireland the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024 reached its third stage in the Dáil last summer. An update would be valuable. As would a commitment to ensure cash will be accepted, with no ifs or buts.
Some historians hold that St Patrick may have had mixed loyalties when it came to the rugby field. Although he’s our patron saint, others lay claim to his birthplace. Branwen, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, has the strongest shout as he referenced it in his writings.
But this doesn’t stop Scotland and England seeking a slice of the action.
Whatever the truth about the anglo-Roman who converted us to Christianity, it’s possible he was looking the other way at the weekend as we suffered an anti-climactic end to the international championship.
It’s a sign of our 21st century progress that some will regard a Triple Crown rather than a Grand Slam as a disappointment, but that would be to pander to the dangerous sense of entitlement sometimes demonstrated by other nations.
We should, instead, celebrate stalwarts Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray who have donned the green jersey for the last time and thank them, and the travelling reserve Cian Healey, for their years of service. They’ve 376 caps between them.
We wish them, and all our readers, a very happy St Patrick’s Day.
