We must look honestly at the data on housing and migration

Immigrants increase demand for housing, sometimes driving prices up — but they also play a key role in supply 

People waiting to view the show homes at Bayly Hill, Carr’s Hill, Cork. Migrant workers are an important factor in the development of new housing, as they account for about 20% of construction workers in Ireland. Picture: Dan Linehan

SHOULD immigration be curbed to relieve housing pressure? This idea is sure to gain more traction over the coming years, and needs to be tackled head on.

The standard left-wing response to linking immigration and housing is to deflect blame: “Migrants aren’t the problem, government policy is.”