Can Sinn Fein fix the housing crisis or is it beyond them or anybody else?

Will you give it a rest. while FF(9) and FG(8) had more councilors combined at 17 that SF(16) true.

The total councilors in the DCC is 63 councilors so 32 councilors are needed for a majority.

The truth is SF(16), Lab(8), Greens(3) and 11 Independents which is a total of 38 councilors ran the DCC Council 2014 - 2019

I see the problem differently.

It's mainly a structural and economical issue in Ireland.

Back in 2008 the government bailed out the banks, and that included all that subprime lending all the mortgages.

This meant that the government was sitting on negative equity as well.

The only solution to that, was to build way less, and with increased demand in a recovering economy, and little supply property values would go up again, and negative equity won't be an issue anymore. It was easy to do, many construction companies were bankrupt anyway.

Now you have exactly that, no negative equity, high prices due to lack of supply and strong demand.

Those in their 30ies who want to buy have to bear the brunt of this and if they don't like it, emigration is the only choice.

Those older, who bought before 2008 are happy that they are not in negative equity anymore.

This will last as long as demand is strong. A recession or way higher interest rates would bring high prices to a halt at some point, it's certainly going to happen sooner than any government's plan to build more houses and increase supply.

Looks like the Tom McFeely types are everywhere.

I honestly don't believe that politicians and political parties are able to solve problems, they are more likely to create them. Which party is more or less likely, is another subject of possible disagreement.... In these regards, I would see the SF on the left, at least they have understanding for the problem, but can they solve it, certainly not. Apart from that certain people would never ever consider SF at all.

Regarding bad banks, NAMA, and the whole current housing crisis, in a nutshell, I think it's a market in which from 2008 / 2009 until now supply has been deliberately and artificially limited to have a natural higher demand in a recovering economy. And rising prices solve the negative equity issue.

Thus the country's housing crisis is where it is.

Ultimately, if we have young people who want to focus on academic studies but can't find rooms to stay and study focused in, the country will have a problem. The risk is there to lose a whole generation seeking fortunes elsewhere. I am surprised about these long and endless queues, just to view a single room, with very limited hopes of being successful.

Same goes for all the multinational companies operating in Ireland. Who wants a highly demanding and skilled job, but live in shared housing with a bunch of strangers? The result is, nobody stays long, hiring and leaving in a year or two.

Recruitment agencies like Giligan Black, Sigmar Recruiting or CPL Recruiting catering for those American multinationals are the only lucky ones profiting from this as their hiring goes on and on..... They only tend to run out of possible candidates, especially if it's known that one needs to pay 1200 to 1500 per month for just a room with an en-suite in a city like Dublin, for that you can rent a 2 bedroom in Frankfurt or Munich and get a similarly demanding job with a reputable company.

I'd agree it requires radical action, but what you're suggesting isn't quite it.

Limiting immigration from non EEC countries is tricky. Many of the jobs in construction are done by people from outside the EEC. Not even the Polish want to work in this industry anymore.

Canada's housing market is tanking because, it's been growing like Ireland pre-2008. Now the Bank of Canada decided to raise interest rates to curb inflation, - thus the impact on mortgages. The EZB may move in a similar direction, but that might take some time.

A vacant property tax leads nowhere. First you'd have to assess who is staying where how long, leading to a massive surveillance of citizens. Not even in London they do that, and renting in zone 3 is easier and even cheaper than anywhere Dublin these days.

I also wouldn't restrict hotels, they are part of tourism, an industry which needs to recover and grow especially after the pandemic.

The lack of high rise is also a bit surprising, especially in cities like Dublin. Every time it seems to take ages to get them formally approved and then there are also voices not wanting high rises at all. I'd say, certain areas can identified in any city without destroying the original charme of the city.

Take a look at Manchester, - as far as I know they recently approved 4 high rise towers, real high rises, not tree stumps calling themselves tower like one in Dublin does......

I'd say the only decent answer is to simply build more units, and units people can be proud of owning.

It's an excellent description regarding the fact that house prices have to stay artificially high as too much depends on it. And, yes, I am aware of the sex for rent issues in Dublin and I am also aware that they are downplayed all the time.

I think the LPT is enough tax on properties. We don't need a vacant home tax. Too much admin work on the bureaucrats, to much surveillance on home owners when one is home or when one isn't and coercion to rent out.

London doesn't have a vacant home tax either. And empty homes in London only concerns houses and apartments of the super super rich from overseas, - but if they were rented out, I doubt any of us could afford to pay the rent anyway.

Gas objection really. A vacant property tax has no downsides unless you are sitting on vacant property. Instigate it and see what can be brought in or if it encourages building.

After this cam up the other day I counted vacant buildings on my main street- 13 buildings in one small town.

Sorry, not buying the reasons not to tax.

There are exemptions to the property tax as long as you can prove them. Same can apply.

Sitting on property is an issue and needs addressing.

I would be strongly opposed to any form of vacant home tax.

If somebody doesn't want to rent out, this needs to be respected. Owning a home is a right, and what you're doing with it is yours alone and should not be up to penal taxes on how you're using it, just because in Ireland they are unable to build more.

Also, as you said, there are exemptions, but even on exemptions opinions will differ greatly. When is an exemption accepted? When not? Who decides on those exemptions? Also there will be bureaucracy attached to that, deadlines on when to respond to whatever demand the bureaucrats set, together will another set of fines and penal taxes for not meeting that deadline, - all unacceptable.

As you can see, we disagree strongly already. Another tax will not solve anything. It will only produce arguments and clashes.

How is it a 'home' if you aren't living in it? If you have reason, you can apply for an exemption. Simple