General Election 2024

[Armagh18]

It feels like SF are gathering momentum.  When is the next poll?

They will top polls again.

Part of me would love to see them in with the Healy Raes and the Monk

[trileacman]

Trileacman
We virtually stopped building Council houses in the early 90s.
My thoughts are that on State owned land we build
1 Social Houses (as in the old Council Houses)
2 Tenant purchase or Rent to buy for people who can afford a higher rent
3 - Cost price purchase houses, with appropriate conditions re clawback etc.
These could have VAT deferred if necessary to make them cheaper.

Why did they stop building council houses? What are the reasons these steps haven't been taken?

[armaghniac]

Who will win the 5th seat in Mayo on those numbers?

[JoG2]

You must be solicitor in real life
"FFG" (which doesn't exist) are as likely to get more houses built than the motley crew of the rest.
My confidence or lack thereof is of little importance to anyone, except Snap maybe.
Crisis caused by a growing economy from 2015 on and the Governments of the day not being proactive in responding preferring to follow the neoliberal hands off leave it to the private sector.

If as looks likely "FFG" get 45% of the seats I'd hope a left of centre party would join them who would push them into getting the State active in housing provision for those priced out of the markets.

Why do they need pushed? 14 years and they still need another party to coax them into sorting it...kind of says it all. I had a daughter living in Dublin for 4 years, is now in London renting and living for less the last few years..crazy

[Rossfan]

Trileac, they almost stopped building Council houses because they wanted to get away from creating big ghettos like West Tallaght.
I suspect property developers pushed for that as they didn't want Council houses being built near fields they were sitting on.
Then they introduced HAP which in effect means the taxpayer giving loads of money to private landlords and never getting an asset in return.
I'd say the affordable houses will enable a certain number of people to buy but no prospect of a rent to buy on the horizon.

Blueshirts big in Rhubarbland I see.

[trileacman]

Who will win the 5th seat in Mayo on those numbers?

FF or an Independent would be my guess. Chambers went close last time and FG may have spread their votes too thin with 4 candidates.

[trileacman]

Trileac, they almost stopped building Council houses because they wanted to get away from creating big ghettos like West Tallaght.
I suspect property developers pushed for that as they didn't want Council houses being built near fields they were sitting on.
Then they introduced HAP which in effect means the taxpayer giving loads of money to private landlords and never getting an asset in return.
I'd say the affordable houses will enable a certain number of people to buy but no prospect of a rent to buy on the horizon.

Blueshirts big in Rhubarbland I see.

HAP is a big part, probably the majority, of social housing stimulus in NI. Are you suggesting discarding or cutting it?

Then there is the big complaint in the UK and NI that tenant purchase has eroded the stock of social housing.

I'm not sure that the government becoming the states major landlords, whilst logical on paper, is necessarily the best solution. I think in the longer term it creates as many problems as it solves.

[trileacman]

I'd guess that PBP will find themselves with just the 2 seats after this election. Barrett and Murphy will probably be returned but I don't think they'll keep Smith's old seat or return Gino.

[armaghniac]

I'd guess that PBP will find themselves with just the 2 seats after this election. Barrett and Murphy will probably be returned but I don't think they'll keep Smith's old seat or return Gino.

Something good at least.

[johnnycool]

Trileac, they almost stopped building Council houses because they wanted to get away from creating big ghettos like West Tallaght.
I suspect property developers pushed for that as they didn't want Council houses being built near fields they were sitting on.
Then they introduced HAP which in effect means the taxpayer giving loads of money to private landlords and never getting an asset in return.
I'd say the affordable houses will enable a certain number of people to buy but no prospect of a rent to buy on the horizon.

Blueshirts big in Rhubarbland I see.

As well as not building enough houses is it not also the case that when they do they're hoovered up by Venture Capitalists who then look to rent these properties?

First time buyers don't stand a chance if that's the case.

[Snapchap]

You must be solicitor in real life
"FFG" (which doesn't exist) are as likely to get more houses built than the motley crew of the rest.
My confidence or lack thereof is of little importance to anyone, except Snap maybe.
Crisis caused by a growing economy from 2015 on and the Governments of the day not being proactive in responding preferring to follow the neoliberal hands off leave it to the private sector.

If as looks likely "FFG" get 45% of the seats I'd hope a left of centre party would join them who would push them into getting the State active in housing provision for those priced out of the markets.

Well I suppose all you can do then is keep voting for the same thing, time and again, and hope for a different outcome. Solid strategy.

[Kidder81]

You must be solicitor in real life
"FFG" (which doesn't exist) are as likely to get more houses built than the motley crew of the rest.
My confidence or lack thereof is of little importance to anyone, except Snap maybe.
Crisis caused by a growing economy from 2015 on and the Governments of the day not being proactive in responding preferring to follow the neoliberal hands off leave it to the private sector.

If as looks likely "FFG" get 45% of the seats I'd hope a left of centre party would join them who would push them into getting the State active in housing provision for those priced out of the markets.

Well I suppose all you can do then is keep voting for the same thing, time and again, and hope for a different outcome. Solid strategy.

It's worked really well in the north 

[Snapchap]

You must be solicitor in real life
"FFG" (which doesn't exist) are as likely to get more houses built than the motley crew of the rest.
My confidence or lack thereof is of little importance to anyone, except Snap maybe.
Crisis caused by a growing economy from 2015 on and the Governments of the day not being proactive in responding preferring to follow the neoliberal hands off leave it to the private sector.

If as looks likely "FFG" get 45% of the seats I'd hope a left of centre party would join them who would push them into getting the State active in housing provision for those priced out of the markets.

Well I suppose all you can do then is keep voting for the same thing, time and again, and hope for a different outcome. Solid strategy.

It's worked really well in the north 

For that above little piece of sarcasm to be true, that would require both the north to have always voted for the same two parties, and for it to have not changed in any significant way in recent times. Since the GFA, the FM and DFM positions have been held by both an SDLP/UUP combination, and a DUP/SF combination (with three of those four parties having been top dog in the last 25 years), so that rules out the former. And it's generaly regarded as having been one of the best examples of a transformative post-conflict peace processes in the world, which most definitely rules out the latter.

I suppose if I really wanted to press the point home, I could also argue that anyone who attempts to draw a serious parallel between a regional assembly with no tax raising powers, and an actual government; ought to be sat down and told to wise the head before Micheál Martin comes along and offers them a senior position in FF, given it's precisely the line of dishonest sh!ite he absolutely loves to spout.

[JoG2]

You must be solicitor in real life
"FFG" (which doesn't exist) are as likely to get more houses built than the motley crew of the rest.
My confidence or lack thereof is of little importance to anyone, except Snap maybe.
Crisis caused by a growing economy from 2015 on and the Governments of the day not being proactive in responding preferring to follow the neoliberal hands off leave it to the private sector.

If as looks likely "FFG" get 45% of the seats I'd hope a left of centre party would join them who would push them into getting the State active in housing provision for those priced out of the markets.

Well I suppose all you can do then is keep voting for the same thing, time and again, and hope for a different outcome. Solid strategy.

It's worked really well in the north 

Makes little sense on a few levels

[armaghniac]

Trileac, they almost stopped building Council houses because they wanted to get away from creating big ghettos like West Tallaght.
I suspect property developers pushed for that as they didn't want Council houses being built near fields they were sitting on.
Then they introduced HAP which in effect means the taxpayer giving loads of money to private landlords and never getting an asset in return.
I'd say the affordable houses will enable a certain number of people to buy but no prospect of a rent to buy on the horizon.

Blueshirts big in Rhubarbland I see.

As well as not building enough houses is it not also the case that when they do they're hoovered up by Venture Capitalists who then look to rent these properties?

First time buyers don't stand a chance if that's the case.

Ireland builds more houses per capita than any country in Europe, and three times the rate in UK. A 10% duty  has been placed on mass purchase of houses. These measures might not still not be enough, but it is wrong to characterise the situation as inaction or imply that it is easy to do more.