Housing crisis needs solutions, not spin

IT hardly needs pointing out that there are various problems facing the Government.

The disastrous state of the health service is, of course, one of them. But the housing situation is an even more pressing issue. It is only a few short weeks since Paschal Donohoe acknowledged that this administration’s future reputation will depend on how the crisis is handled.

And, just in case there is any doubt, it is a crisis. We have a situation where there are countless numbers of young families being forced to live in guesthouses, hotels or other forms of unsuitable and temporary accommodation.

Nor does the problem end there. It is no secret that well-paid professionals are finding it difficult in the extreme to afford the rents that are being charged in our major cities. And even if they can afford them, the monthly outlay leaves them with little scope for saving for a deposit on a home of their own.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank strictures on lending make it harder than ever for those trying to get on to the property ladder or upgrade to a bigger home. The bottom line is that owning a home is now a remote prospect for an entire generation. And anyone trying to move from a starter home might as well forget about it.

This newspaper has consistently pointed out that the only logical solution is the construction of more homes.

Mr Donohoe previously estimated that 17,000 properties were built last year. But it now appears that the figure is well below the 10,000 mark.

It is unclear how this confusion arose in the first place. But it’s even more difficult to understand, given that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has put in place a Strategic Communications Unit at vast expense to taxpayers. At the very least, there has been a serious breakdown in communications somewhere along the way.

The figures tell their own story. And the misleading rhetoric from Government figures does no-one any favours, least of all themselves.