Tag Archives: Housing

This morning.

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Arriving earlier for a cabinet meeting were, from top:From top Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan; Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Mr Martin said that over the next five years over 50,000 social housing units will be built.

The Taoiseach added that the Government needs to do more in providing affordable housing and to give first-time buyers priority in the marketplace.

He said the immediate issue is to deal with the issue of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and their impact on first-time buyers…

Hmm.

Meanwhile…on a suggestion by the OECD yesterday that the country needs to reconsider the introduction of domestic water charges,…

…the Taoiseach said the Government will not be “going back” and trying to reintroduce water charges.

Mr Martin said the Government have been investing strongly in water infrastructure and will continue to do so, but that water charges “will not be coming back“.

Climate minister Eamon Ryan had said “we will not be going back to the water charges issue” and that the Oireachtas all-party committee has a plan in relation to water infrastructure and will “stick to that”

Housing issue is ‘number one priority’ – Taoiseach (RTE)

Earlier: A Limerick A Day

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Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

This afternoon.

Further to dismay over the purchase of entire housing estates by real estate investment trusts or REITs.

Via The Ditch:

…While a TD for Dublin North in 2008, Darragh O’Brien declared in the Dáil register of interests holdings in a Standard Life Assurance savings policy. The policy later promised returns to holders through investments in REITs, which were introduced to Ireland in 2013 through legislation brought by finance minister Michael Noonan…

…O’Brien further declared he was a landlord from 2007-2015. He found himself in possession of not one, but two houses, so chose to rent one out, starting in the heady, pre-crash era.

O’Brien along with his wife bought a family home in 2007, but decided against selling his former residence – a two-bed apartment in Malahide.

O’Brien rented the property first to a family member from 2007 and later to other private tenants, before finally selling the property at 11 Castle Heath, Swords Road, Malahide. He sold it for €290,000 in March 2015.

Meanwhile…

…O’Brien’s government and party colleague Robert Troy is another landlord with a serious property portfolio. And he knows how to protect his interests.

In 2019 he took an unsuccessful Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) case against a tenant renting from him a €1,250 per month one-bed flat in Phibsborough, Dublin 7. Troy had let the flat to small business owner Paul McGahan. The flat is “a tiny little thing” according to McGahan: “You wouldn’t fit two people into this place,” he said…

Fianna Fáil ministers, the REITs and the housing crisis (The Ditch)

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From top: Most houses on the new Mullen estate, Maynooth, county Kildare were purchased by Round Hill Capital; Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien

This morning.

Via RTÉ:

Proposals that could lead to changes in the tax treatment of institutional investors in property in Ireland could be considered by Government ministers as early as next week, RTÉ News understands.

….The indications from the Government this morning are that an outright ban on investors buying homes in housing estates would raise constitutional difficulties.

There is a view that the biggest part of addressing the issue will centre on changes to current tax incentives.

Govt further examining investment fund housing issue (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar defended the role of investment funds in the wake of revelations of them buying up large numbers of houses in some new estates.

…He said a lot of the apartment buildings in Dublin would not have been built without investment funds which would mean fewer homes in the capital. Mr Varadkar said these funds run apartment complexes well and they are often better managed than if apartments are leased by 30 or 40 different landlords.

However, the Tánaiste said it was never envisaged they would buy whole housing states “over the heads” of first-time buyers or an approved housing body.

‘They are gunning for him’: Housing Minister criticised at Fine Gael meeting as Leo Varadkar defends investment funds (Independent.ie)

Meanwhile…

Last night: No Bay? No Meadows? We’ll Take It

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Meanwhile…

Oh.

Kevin Whitty writes:

Is it possible to get a log of what the Minister for Housing does every day??

I wouldn’t be surprised if these new, unbuilt properties, were rented back to the government for social housing.

Really sick of this nonsense. Canada and NZ both identified a bubble based on their policies and are in the process of change. Why won’t our government change their policies?!

Crazy House Prices (Instagram)

This morning.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick and Deputies Paul McAuliffe and Joe Flaherty outlined their amendments to the Affordable Housing Bill. They want every Local Authority to set affordable housing tagets within six months of the bill being enacted. The three politicians, all members of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, claim this is not a criticism of Fianna Fáil Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

RollingNews

Oh.

Clifden, Corofin, Clare (MyHome)

Thanks Ouch

Meanwhile…

A Government plan to reinvigorate rural Ireland aims to breathe new life into dying towns and villages by transforming disused derelict buildings and pubs into remote working hubs.

The plan includes a pilot scheme to turn rural pubs into remote working hubs; the provision of public sector hubs in regional towns for public servants to work in their local areas, and a target of 400 IDA investments for region locations to create jobs.

‘Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025’, the Government’s plan for rural Ireland’s development over the next five years, will be announced this afternoon.

Pubs to become remote working hubs in new plan to boost rural Ireland (RTÊ)

The Government is working to reopen the construction sector on 5 March, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien (top) has said.

This morning/afternoon.

It’ll be grand.

Govt working to reopen construction on 5 March – O’Brien (RTÉ)

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Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien

Dáil debate on Thursday, January 28

This afternoon.

Social Democrat housing spokesman Cian O’Callaghan TD writes

“In the Dáil last Thursday, the Minister for Housing stated that the National Quality Standards Framework [standards that have been in place in all charity-run hostels since 2019] applies to all providers of emergency accommodation for homeless people – including private providers.

“However, on Friday, Brendan Kenny of Dublin City Council confirmed at the Oireachtas Housing Committee that these standards are not in fact being applied to private for-profit providers of emergency accommodation.

“The Minister must come before the Dáil and correct the record, and the Government must act swiftly to ensure that the National Standards applies to all providers of homeless accommodation, including private providers….

Meanwhile…Council Says It Plans to Hire Company to Inspect Homeless Hostels (Dublin Inquirer)

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‘Commonspace’.

A short documentary looking at Dundanion Court, a futuristic housing scheme built in Cork in 1964.

Filmmaker Paddy Cahill writes:

Architect Neil Hegarty brings us through his first work, the award-winning housing scheme at Dundanion Court, which absorbed influences from projects by Mies van der Rohe and I M Pei in the United States to produce a model for housing that is increasingly pertinent today.

Dundanion Court

From top: Co-living was welcomed by the real estate trade; Minister for Housing Darrah O’Brien

This morning/afternoon.

After a rush of planning application, the building Co-living developments – in which residents get a private bedroom in a furnished home with shared common area – is to be halted.

Via RTÉ:

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said he was concerned that the high number of applications coupled with the high density of the developments would increase land prices.

“By allowing permissions to extract higher units of beds in a single development and combined with the higher than anticipated number of applications this has the potential to have negative repercussions for other development types, such as affordable purchase or cost rental that the Programme for Government is committed to promoting” he said.

Meanwhile…

Social Democrats Housing spokesperson and Dublin Bay North TD, Cian O’Callaghan

“The ban on co-living developments is long overdue. The Government must now draw a line in the sand under these shoddy housing policies.

“At the heart of the co-living plan was a desire to drive down standards, forcing people to live in shoeboxes so that developers could squeeze every last cent out of a site. Today’s decision by the Minister for Housing is a recognition that this was wrong.”

Co-Living: The Story So Far (CBRE)

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