Sir, – In “How Sinn Féin would fix the housing crisis” (Opinion & Analysis, September 3rd), Eoin Ó Broin avoids the elephant in the room, the dearth of tradespeople, particularly in the wet trades.
He makes no mention of any innovative plan to recruit the huge cohort of digger drivers, block layers, plasterers and carpenters necessary to get a house up to roof level, not to mention plumbers, electricians and tilers.
Legislation to restrict evictions and rent increases and indeed a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to housing, etc, will not, unfortunately, build even one new house. – Yours, etc,
MICK O’BRIEN,
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Kilkenny.
Sir, – Before reading Eoin Ó Broin’s article, I was expecting to be provided an outline of how Sinn Féin plans to resolve the various recalcitrant problems in the housing sector that have dogged the best efforts of successive governments.
Where will new homes be built? Who will build them? What shape will they take? How long will it take? How much will it all cost? How will it be paid for? These are just a few of the most obvious questions any plan would need to answer.
Instead the first 618 words of his 926-word article were given over to describing the existing situation. Thanks for the recap, but we are aware of the problems by now.
In the litany of issues, there was clearly insufficient space left to mention the many public housing schemes scuppered in recent years by Sinn Féin councils and their ideological objection to the involvement of private developers.
Then came the long awaited plan – 52 words to the effect that Sinn Féin will increase investment in the delivery of social housing.
This was followed by 288 words about passing laws to prevent eviction, to limit rent increases, and to create a constitutional right to a home for all. That none of the above would deliver a single new home, or address any existing or future housing shortages, goes without saying.
So there it is, Sinn Féin’s grand plan to solve the housing crisis, in all its glorious detail – “increase investment in the delivery of social housing”.
Clearly only one side of the napkin was needed to make notes in that meeting. – Yours, etc,
JOHN THOMPSON,
Phibsboro,
Dublin 7.