The decline of SF?

This is my opinion.

Things could be better but it's easier for things to get worse.

For all their faults, FG have created an excellent economy, the best in our history, the envy of most of the world.

I'm old enough to remember when the majority of young people had to emigrate.

You can pursue your chosen career in almost any field now in Ireland except things that we don't have natural resources for like mining or petrochemicals.

We've very strong jobs market in IT, pharma, finance, tech, medical devices.

We even have a film and TV industry which looks like it's about to grow strongly in next few years.

We're obviously lacking in some areas like car manufacturing and indigenous industries.

We also have to be mindful that AI could eat a lot of jobs in IT and customer service.

I could see huge layoffs in the next decade from the IT multinationals.

Most people I know feel like this.

The status quo ain't brilliant but they're better than SF.

If SF are so brilliant, they should sort NI out first.

The people who think SF will make the country better are the same people who think Emmet Kirwan is insightful.

At the same time, I can see how anyone from a deprived community would think SF are the better option and that FFG are only serving the middle class.

Also FFG should've got a handle on housing a decade ago. They had all the data and could've projected this.

They should've been do everything to make jobs in construction as attractive as possible. The labour shortage is one major bottleneck.

I think it's human nature to think change can improve things but in reality it can just make things worse in this instance.

I understand the prospects that are available to my generation and the one's coming after me and they are 10 fold better than what my parents had on offer to them.

That isn't the major issue for us, the issue is that despite all these opportunities on offer with decent salaries they aren't sufficient to purchase a home. Back in the day, that you can probably remember, a couple working in near minimum wage jobs (Supermarkets etc) would be given a mortgage and could buy a home. Now a couple with 2 good jobs are struggling to get a mortgage that will come close to purchasing a home in Dublin.

For example Couple earning 90k a year can get a max mortgage of 360k, with deposit their budget is around 400/420k. Houses in Poppintree and Swords asking prices around 375, selling for 480 mark.

It's not only purchasing properties that is an issue, the rental market is in the toilet too, 3 beds for 2.5k+ a month. These major price increases and failure in housing policies have come in successive FF/FG/FFG governments and we're tired of this status quo as in my lifetime bar the 08 crash, nothing has changed in the housing market apart from an increase in the older generations owning 2nd properties and becoming LL's to top up their retirement pot at the expense of the younger generation.

I'd respectfully point out to you that not every young or not so young Irish person can or is able to work in IT, pharma, finance, tech, medical devices, TV or films etc etc

Any population has working citizens with a range of abilities, needs and ambition. Both at higher paid levels that you instance but also at lower paid grades in retail, childcare, hospitality, labouring etc etc. And a good many with no employment and on social housing lists/ supports etc

There seems to be a smug view about characterised by FG and other parties that sure Irish people will do all the well paid jobs and we'll bring in loads of non nationals to do the poorly paid jobs that 'no Irish person wants to do' and sure we'll all be grand.

Whereas in truth, this influx is now competing for exactly the same jobs and housing as Irish people who already suit this lower paid work. And then you wonder why there are protests and places burnt?

You'd really want to wake up. And this disease has affected Sinn Féin too.

FFG have created another property price boom. This time with a housing crisis thrown in. That suits property owners and anyone else creaming it. FFG know their audience. You cant beat the old Irish obsession with property / property prices. It's a banker. Those who are flush once again (mostly based on debt but thats never mattered before and doesnt seem to now either) dont want to know about the dangers of another bubble. This supersedes all. Dont be ruining the buzz. The new white Range Rovers are flying about the place again. FFG are back. Let the good times roll.

I agree. The country should be very everyone.

That's why social housing, cost rental etc are very important. Also medical cards, decent minimum wage, free education etc..

We do have a very good social welfare system.

We still have a labour shortage so the "influx" aren't competing for any jobs. Dublin Bus is still struggling to hire drivers.

People are not stupid, as I said they are aware Ireland has issues, they will also be aware other countries have similar issues. Housing is not just an issue in Ireland

It's not black & white which is what you seem to suggest

You can see Ireland has issues, you can see the government are trying to fix, you can also realise that the plans that others propose will make those issues worse and not better.

By "struggling to hire drivers", it's implicit I meant capable drivers.

The issue is that we can't see Government attempting to fix the housing crisis which has occurred under multiple FF/FG and now FFG's tenure.

As I replied to a previous poster earlier "It's not only purchasing properties that is an issue, the rental market is in the toilet too, 3 beds for 2.5k+ a month. These major price increases and failure in housing policies have come in successive FF/FG/FFG governments and we're tired of this status quo as in my lifetime bar the 08 crash, nothing has changed in the housing market apart from an increase in the older generations owning 2nd properties and becoming LL's to top up their retirement pot at the expense of the younger generation."

We're fed up with the status quo FF/FG/FFG governments who have no incentive to adapt their policies as they have the home owner vote and are unwilling to do anything that would jeopardies it.

Just an FYI, I'm not 100% pro Sinn Fein, I tend to judge each politician on their own set of beliefs and policies.

There are examples of SF blocking housing developments, as there have been in all political parties, there's plenty in Dundrum, Ballsbridge, Sandymount, Clontarf, Howth etc that have all blocked developments. Your point that it SF are one of the biggest reasons for house prices rising is ludicrous.

I don't understand how people can blame the opposition (only became majority opp in 2020) over the current and previous Governments in FF/FG who were each other's largest opposition for the past near 3 decades in house prices rising.

It appears that some are just anti certain parties inc PBP and SD's even when they had very little control over any policies.

SF ran DCC from 2014 to 2019, got voted in to provide housing. The government handed them millions to achieve this, 300m or more I think off top of head

They ended up with less unit in 2019 than in 2014, plus they ran up a rent arrears of over 40m with one tenant evicted. This was during a huge population growth in Dublin

It was clear to me and other at this stage SF ran DCC into the ground to make the housing crisis worse, hoping it would get to a situation like today.

You name a development and you will have a SF member blocking it if possible, that is not a coincidence, that is a strategic plan from SF to make the housing crisis as bad as possible

SF are completely incompetent. Already provided plenty of evidence

They got elected into DCC to build units and ended up with less, do you see that as a party that can claim to be competent?

Like the SF supporters than run 20+ accounts online to abuse people, do you think that is a skill that these people put on their CV?

Like any of these thread, we get 101 posts of nonsense from you trying to shut down anyone having a conversation on a topic. This thread is descending into the same mess.

But if new home construction rises at a faster rate under FFG than it does under SF, surely FFG will still see their way out of the deficit first; on the proviso that the labour market stays the same.

Also remember FFG are upping the new home targets towards 50k over the next year or so.

In short, construction is happening. It isnt fast enough, but it is getting faster.

And it is happening faster than it would if SF were in power.

It's hard to frame a positive argument for a change to a SF govt with respect to housing construction.

We are also building better houses, plus we have now an active regeneration program of houses which was never the case before. This has to be seen as a positive

I still think, especially in cities, we have too many houses and not enough apartments been built