Housing crisis can be solved if the political will is there

WHO could not agree with your Tuesday editorial on the housing crisis (‘The wrong approach to tackling homelessness’)?

In a recent stay in hospital, a developer in the bed beside me told me that 50% of new house prices are a result of one tax or another.

Never in the history of this State has any generation been unable to purchase a house or home until now. I see all around Dublin council housing estates that were built in the Forties, Fifties and Sixties when the Republic had a lot less capital available or to borrow. Why in God’s name can we not have a similar building plan to house the next generation of Irish people?

Given that the elderly are living longer in their own homes, new affordable housing for the next generations has to be built.

Take, for example, the vast lands at Cherrywood, serviced by the Luas trains, making Dublin city accessible. Passing by this area very often, I have seen the potential for our Government to build housing estates that are affordable for young married Irish couples ready to start a family, including a number of social houses at rent prices people can afford.

But no, that development has been allowed to fall into the hands of an American financial group that will milk it for all it can get.

Until young people from the age of 25 upwards go and march on those elected to Government, demanding affordable housing in such a manner as suggested above, useless politicians, who are well able to talk but unable to do anything, will continue to preside over this betrayal of our current generation of young Irish people, who are exploited by everyone with their hands on those lucrative property profits. REDMOND O’HANLON, Churchtown, Dublin 14.

Giving homes away

READING about the high rents people are paying in Dublin (Irish Daily Mail, Saturday), it occurred to me that many of these properties are owned by foreign companies.

Irish people have paid and continue to pay billions for the debts of banks. Along with the debts were some assets, namely apartment blocks. These were practically given away to the same companies who are now charging exorbitant rents. Irish people are now paying rent for apartments, which rightfully belong to the Irish people. DAVID KELLY, Crumlin, Dublin 12.

Starting World War III

DONALD Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric directed at North Korea is astonishingly irresponsible.

He clearly enjoys talking tough but has he given any thought to the implications of his words?

Of course America could wipe out North Korea with ease, but not without unleashing devastating consequences on allies in the region. If America launches bombs, the North Koreans will immediately respond by bombing the South Korean capital Seoul.

They could also drop bombs on Tokyo. America couldn’t stop that from happening. And now there is the fear that the North Koreans could launch nuclear strikes.

Trump needs to pull back or he will cause the deaths of millions of innocents.

BRIAN DOYLE, Cork city.

In defence of Myers

MANY Irish Junior Cert students’ first introduction to the Jewish people is the anti-Semitic Shakespearean play The Merchant Of Venice being taught as part of their English curriculum. It depicted a Jewish usurer Shylock, in the 16th century, who mourns the loss of his daughter to a Christian and the jewels and ducats she took with her in equal measure. It propagates Jewish stereotypes/ prejudice a lot more than an opinion piece in the Sunday Times by a journalist known for his uniquely reflective, honest and at times provocative articles. CAROLINE FANNING,

Foxrock, Dublin 18.