Exempt housebuilders from any new Covid clampdown, urges ESRI's Prof McQuinn

Housing shortages are stoking house price and rental inflation

ESRI economics professor Kieran McQuinn: 'I still think unless you brought in significant restrictions and kept them for a long period of time, the economy will grow strongly next year.'

The Government should do its utmost to protect housebuilding from any new Covid economic restrictions, as fears grow across Europe that a new wave of clampdowns will be required as cases flare, a leading expert has said.

Economics professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Kieran McQuinn, said over the last two years housing was among the worst-hit parts of the economy and any new health clampdown for homebuilders could threaten to make house price inflation and rent increases even worse.