FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

Blut2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122056574#Comment_122056574

Thats not remotely accurate. We had as many construction workers in 2023 as in 2005, when we built 86,000 housing units. Our planning laws while still problematic now are at least slightly better than they were in 2005.

The labour difference is now our workers are building more non-housing projects. Thats down to the government not prioritising home building. Thats because of bad government policy choice.

70s Ireland was essentially bankrupt as a country yet we managed to fund widescale home building. We spent a higher % of income per capita on housing then than we did in the second half of the 2010s, when Ireland had a booming economy. Thats because of bad government policy choice.

Clo-Clo

The "new houses" numbers do not include the active regeneration of housing which is going on at the moment, the regeneration is a huge bonus for Ireland when the option in the Celtic Tiger was to build new and older houses let to rot.

From what I can gather, any of these houses which people are moving in and bringing back into the housing market are not part of the numbers.

This also has taken a lot of construction workers with plenty of companies specialising in this area

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122056544#Comment_122056544

"building housing in large numbers is not some unachievable mystery, it just requires a government to decide to do it"

Of all the uninformed comments that I have seen on here across many subjects, this ranks at or near the very top.

Finance isn't needed, construction workers aren't needed, building supplies aren't needed, apprentices aren't needed, serviced land isn't needed, utilities aren't needed, etc., etc., all that is required is a government to decide to do it.

Unadulterated nonsense.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057433#Comment_122057433

As we have seen as well, even when the government handed millions to a county council, the county council left the money sitting and did nothing with it.

You also have the campaigns run by political parties to block all houses in every area of Ireland, the perfect example recently of the unit in desperate need in Dublin, in an ideal location, blocked by the leader of an opposition party.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122056170#Comment_122056170

Matt Cooper and Yates discussed this at length recently. They both agreed that even the latest and long overdue planning legislation won't even remotely be good enough to unblock planning applications in a timely and efficient manner. The fact that new planning laws and planning reform has taken so so so long is all on FFGG. It should have been done many years ago.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057566#Comment_122057566

I don't disagree, yet it is notable that even that insufficient improvement is vociferously opposed by those who claim they would fix the problem, which doesn't make much sense.

And yes, it should have been done long ago. But politicians have never lost votes by pandering to NIMBYs.

corkie

@JP Liz V1 Asked before at what age should children have smartphones?

@Clo-Clo This topic is of interest to me and this why I like been informed of a parties policies?

Fine Gael is calling for the digital age of consent [16 in Ireland] to be enforced and better education on the impact of social media. Same age the parental supervision ends on a google account here.

https://twitter.com/FineGael/status/1783121660549197877

Nanny State rules?

Backing up Micheal Martin's stance on the issue.

As FG EU candidates will more likely have to vote by party lines. It probably will be not worth my while discussing the 'Digital Services Act' #DSA with them?

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057723#Comment_122057723

I would say from 15, 3rd year onwards

I was shocked by the amount of smartphones used by youngsters at Holy Communions

JP Liz V1

I think Helen should resign, her incompetence is astonishing, no knowledge of information despite asked twice for figures

JP Liz V1

..

https://twitter.com/griptmedia/status/1782860092494295494

Blut2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057433#Comment_122057433

Irish governments achieved it throughout the history of the Irish state until the 2010s very frequently. When exactly those same needs would have been required, and from a poverty ridden government for all of those decades up until the Celtic Tiger at that.

So clearly its not remotely unachievable, we had a long history of building housing in far larger per capita numbers than we've been doing recently. The only reason we haven't done so since 2015 is either incompetence or ideology on the part of FG governments - take your pick.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058029#Comment_122058029

Or old people who don't want anymore houses near them and use the system to clog it all up.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058029#Comment_122058029

As I said in my post, unadulterated nonsense that shows a complete ignorance of the modern realities.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058039#Comment_122058039

Or old people in a different part of the city block units which has no affect on them at all. Backed by a political party of course.

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057815#Comment_122057815

The last time I saw something gutted and filleted to that degree was on Masterchef.

Funny how RTE and all the other mainstream media outlets are refraining from drawing attention to it.😏

Ah but sure Gript are right wing and covering ministers ineptitude these days is so right wing.

I can't possibly comment on the content as …

Suffice to say she is about as much use in her portfolio, actually one of the most important in government, as a eunuch at an orgy.

Blut2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060471#Comment_122060471

The statistics would suggest your theory that its impossible to build housing in larger numbers that we currently are is rather more "complete ignorance".

The Irish state managed to build over 20,000 housing units a year, and up to 30,000 some years, almost every year from 1971→1995. This during years when the population of Ireland was between 2.9mn and 3.6mn, and when the country was one of the poorest in Europe, with huge budgetary constraints.

The idea that 33k homes a year being built currently is in any way an achievement, when our population is now 5.1mn (and growing rapidly), and when we have yearly budgetary surpluses in the billions of euros, is absolute nonsense. Its an utter failure of government.

(this also ignoring the fact that we also in recent memory were building 90k units a year, at a time when our population was 4.1mn - that would be the equivalent of 110k housing units in 2024)

We can, and should, be building massive amounts more of housing - but our government has not done so over the last decade. Which, again, is down to either incompetence or deliberate choice - but its one of the two, because we have plenty of evidence within living memory that its certainly not logistically impossible.

Blut2

And rather topically on the above note, new CSO housing statistics just got released today that show that in 2024Q1 we only completed 5841 housing units. And our production volume has now declined for 6 quarters in a row:

https://twitter.com/nwl88444048/status/1783460535188488259

https://twitter.com/nwl88444048/status/1783437188341882980

Some 'achievement' for the government defenders in the thread eh?

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122063057#Comment_122063057

Sticking up for herself here?

Edit: - Bad timing of her post with happenings in Newtownmountkennedy

https://twitter.com/HMcEntee/status/1783601979052228819

Didn't want to post in #TheTikTokseach thread, bit of discussion on it there as well.

corkie

Mick Clifford: Helen McEntee needs to get better grip on immigration brief
The main opposition party didn’t cover itself in glory on the asylum issue either this week

• In the course of the meeting she was filleted by independent TD Michael McNamara. He pointed out shortcomings in the current system.

A bit late with this news, but at least other media than Gript are reporting on it, wonder will it be in print tomorrow?

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_justice/2024-04-23/

His segment starts at 2:30 ish.

Cluedo Monopoly

Bit of a perfect storm for the government as we head towards June elections. Shocking stories from the health system as per usual, McEntee showing zero grasp of immigration, Housing completions declining, cabinet afraid to take on the RTE/license fee fiasco, more spoof on law and order even though nowhere near enough Gardai or prison capacity, Leo jumped ship and Fine Gael losing half it's TDs.

eggy81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122055494#Comment_122055494

what’s the solution so given the information you provided. Or what’s the problem? What is the crux of the problem I suppose is the question I ask. Is it too much immigration,not enough construction staff, too much industrial/commercial development sucking up construction labour, low wages in domestic sector of construction. Combination of all issues?

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122068272#Comment_122068272

PLenty of articles available to discuss why

One of the biggest issues Ireland has is political parties blocking housing/apartments etc

We are also obsessed with houses and not apartments. We also seem to have strange obsession with building out and not up, in a country without an extensive train system this is even more puzzling.

Look at the recent case in Clonliffe Road, perfect location, access to public transport, huge requirement in area for housing. Apartment for students and hospital staff etc. No need for a car etc etc etc. Perfect in every other city

Blocked by Sinn Fein leader

Blocked by someone living in Foxrock???? the question would be why someone in Foxrock is blocking it but anyway you can make your own assumptions.

Seemingly as well 18 storeys is "excessive"

Ireland is a living in cloud cuckoo land with these clowns able to block

You won't get any answers around here either by the way 😂

eggy81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057433#Comment_122057433

there is one thing the government could do. Enforce rates of pay for workers building houses that match the rates of pay that are available on large industrial projects. Admittedly I don’t know how realistic or even possible that would be. The vast majority of construction workers, me being one are chasing the maximum available money while it’s available. That means data centres, intel and pharma. This means commuting distances to a town or city where large development of such projects are currently happening. At the same time there are housing developments happening slowly in every medium to large town in the country but at a much slower pace than is necessary. Seems to me if the wages on those housing sites matched or even came close to industrial development wages then a huge proportion of workers would be happy to give up the commute. But that doesn’t happen simply because it’s not the priority of the state. This is absolutely obvious to us on the ground building these places. But solving it without driving up housing costs even more is a complication that looks difficult to solve.

: Edited to correct loads of grammar and spelling mistakes. Apologies.

eggy81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122068377#Comment_122068377

Totally agree with how easy it is to block development in Ireland.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122068377#Comment_122068377

And we have been waiting for new planning legislation and reform for many many years. The bill is only coming to the Oireachtas now. Criminally late. The planning authorities need more powers (and less corruption - FG New Politics anyone?) and planning issues should not be decided In endless court battles. The Mahon tribunal outlined all the planning failures decades ago and still no reform.

JP Liz V1

Record Homeless Figures

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41382853.html

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122068429#Comment_122068429

It's a disgrace and then people jump around trying to make excuses for a political party who have spent years now making the housing crisis worse at every chance. Disgusting behaviour from people who would then claim they want to help the people of Ireland

corkie

For anyone who weren't watching The Late Late Show?

Improvements in housing 'could've happened five years ago' if govt had been 'braver' - Varadkar
“Sorry we haven’t been able to do more for you in the past 13 years.”

• He said he hasn’t decided yet whether he will run in the next general election in Dublin West, but that it will be down to “political calculation” of whether Fine Gael can hang on to the seat without him.
• A lot of the new houses you see being built now, or some of the new transport improvements … they could’ve happened five years ago, or four years ago.

He didn't give any political reasons for stepping down! But a productive and good interview from PK.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122067840#Comment_122067840

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tanaiste-says-democracy-under-threat-in-face-of-militancy-1618263.html

• Mr Martin made the comments as he condemned scenes of disorder in Co Wicklow on Thursday evening when Garda members were attacked as a protest at a site earmarked for asylum seeker accommodation turned violent.
• “And we understand the challenges and pressures and many local communities and many people out there who have legitimate concerns and legitimate interests that they’re entitled to raise.”

This is a funny skit on TD Michael McNamara's committee questions to McEntee?

https://twitter.com/thelittlegreen6/status/1783933163871359172

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122063870#Comment_122063870

Comes across as a somewhat desperate and emotional attempt to regain some credibility after her most recent mauling.

I will give her credit for at least appearing genuine and sincere here, but that doesn't change the fact that she's just completely out of her depth as Minister for Justice on not just this issue, but a lot of others under her remit.

Maybe she's starting to realise that? Maybe it's just getting too much? Either way, the best thing she could do now - professionally and perhaps even personally - is to resign as Minister and take some time to think about whether she's actually suitable for politics.

Silentcorner

McEntee will just call in sick someday soon like the growing list of them, or will she step down from politics like another growing list of them….her remaining presence has completely undermined Simon Harris, who had one shot to make a big difference for his party's hope in the coming elections and he didn't even fire the shot, another man completely out of his depth.

It wouldn't surprise me if we see a further ring of permanent heavy security (like we saw on the night of the last Budget) around surrounding blocks in and around Leinster House. It saddens me to even think that, but it is likely.

It is such a shame to see the political and media class in this country collapse in real time, but there are consequences to behaving like fascists. We are in a dysfunctional relationship with our Government.