Real housing vision

A NEW study by MyHome.ie finds that people are now commuting to Dublin from as far away as Waterford and Roscommon. On one level, this is surely a mark of modern Ireland’s success. When the commuter belt widens, it means Dublin City is growing as the economy expands.

However, on a human level, commuting to Dublin from Roscommon or Waterford is extreme, and not something that anyone should be forced to undertake. After all, what quality of life is there in travelling so many hours across the country?

This demands that the Government unveil a house-building programme far in excess of that which they are proposing. It could, of course, show real vision by turning Dublin Port into a Dublin Harbour City, thereby creating half a million new homes right in the heart of the capital.

That would solve our housing problem overnight. We need more homes and we need them fast. As the workforce expands, demand will only increase. That is why we need vision rather than the short-sightedness we have come to expect.