ASK THE EXPERTS

How do you rate the Government’s performance in the last year on housing? Are you encouraged by any measures from 2018?

DARINA COLLINS The introduction of the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme for first-time buyers of new homes has certainly been well received and has resulted in increased sales and supply in this sector. However, stringent and costly building regulations reflected in the prices of new homes have somewhat offset the advantages gained. MICHAEL GREHAN The Government did make an effort to address the rental crisis by easing the burden of tax on landlords. Mortgage interest relief for private investors increased from 80pc to 100pc. Although positive, it only increases the net yield of a private investor by less than 50 basis points. PAT DAVITT The lifting of height restrictions for properties so that cities and towns can grow upwards rather than outwards was encouraging. Overall, performance has been lacklustre, marked by over regulation and new rules to counter the fallout from earlier regulations. AINE MYLER The creation of the Land Development Agency is a welcome strategic move to help the delivery of new homes. It will have the powers to assemble large scale sites of both state and private lands and make them developmentready to speed up delivery. This is the type of agency that can help counter the lack of housing supply at times of market downturn. KEITH LOWE Overall, the Government’s performance has been reasonably good but it has been slower than I would have anticipated in introducing measures to help affordability for house buyers which is important for the future of our population and for ownership which is a pillar of Irish society.