Ennis Auctioneer Says Biggest Catch-22 To Solving Housing Crisis Is Lack Of Accommodation For Construction Workers

Picture (c) Kuzma via canva.com

An Ennis auctioneer says the biggest catch-22 to solving the housing crisis is the lack of accommodation for construction workers.

A recent report from the ESRI suggested that Ireland would need 60,000 workers in the sector by 2025.

The Taoiseach believes that the housing crisis is ‘the biggest issue facing society’ today.

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In his final week in the role, Micheál Martin, insists that houses need to be built faster and the delivery needs to be better.

It comes as his party colleague and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien faces a motion of no confidence in the Dáil this week.

The Cabinet will meanwhile consider new proposals from Minister O’Brien to overhaul the planning system and bar residents’ associations from taking high court actions against planning decisions.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says it will make the system work faster.

A recent report from the ESRI suggests that if the country could deliver 35,000 new units each year, that house prices would drop by 12%.

However, an Ennis auctioneer has criticised the report and branded it ‘out of date’.

Diarmuid McMahon from Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon auctioneers in the county town, says the country would need to deliver 50,000 new homes each year before supply would meet demand.

He’s also questioned the suggestion in the report that Ireland would need 60,000 construction workers by 2025.

Mr. McMahon says ironically, our efforts to expand house building are being hindered by our inability to accommodate workers.

A developer in Ennis insists that long-term planning will be needed to facilitate the expansion of the workforce in the construction industry.

Ciarán Breen of Ciarán Breen Construction in Ennis says we should be aiming to increase the numbers working in the sector over the next five to seven years.

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