New housing plan urged

An economic think-tank has urged the Government to ditch its ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ plan in favour of a new housing model centred on a commercial semi-state utility system.

The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) yesterday unveiled its blueprint for what it called a “game-changer” to the “housing emergency” in Ireland.

Calling housing the “single biggest social policy failure”, NERI said the Government’s €5bn plan to build 25,000 new homes per year and add 47,000 social housing units is “insufficient to make a significant impact” and won’t deliver enough output to meet rising population levels.