ASK THE EXPERTS

What measures does the Government need to take to help fix the crisis?

KEITH LOWE

I would urge Government to directly build social housing by design and build contracts as quickly as possible — and not just in Dublin. It needs to extend the Help To Buy initiative past the end of 2019 to 2022 to maintain the current trend of increased new housing supply. This will halt panic buying later this year as buyers try to beat the deadline. Buying a home should not only be for the very few fortunate enough to be able to gather up or be given sufficient deposits or those on top salaries. The issue of affordability must be addressed, and in my view the Government needs to follow the UK and introduce a shared equity loan scheme.

MICHAEL GREHAN

VAT on all new dwellings needs to be reduced to encourage supply of all types of homes. PRSI and USC need to be removed on rental income for investors — to improve yield and stop the outflow of investors from the market.

AINE MYLER

The continuous tweaking of legislation means ever-changing goalposts, no doubt influencing many landlords to leave the sector, further reducing supply.

We need a holistic review of our residential tenancy legislation, with a view to providing more long-term security for both tenants and landlords.

DARINA COLLINS

To encourage renewal of town centres through tax incentives for conversion of retail back to residential and for ‘living over the shop’. The advantages of this approach are self-evident.

PAT DAVITT

To allow rents in RPZs to grow to market level and have them extended to the entire country with the 4pc cap. To continue the Help-to-Buy scheme, to end Stamp Duty for first time buyers and for the Central Bank to ease the mortgage lending restrictions for that sector.