Irish Examiner view: Another minister departs with a sorry tale to tell

Robert Troy's resignation comes against the background of an utterly broken housing market stacked against the have-nots

Robert Troy may protest about landlords such as him being vilified. But his exit is in fact due to his having to correct the record, repeatedly, as his ‘mistakes’ continued to come to light. File picture: Collins Photos

Over a year ago, on August 13, 2021, this newspaper’s front page lead headline read: ‘House prices ‘will just keep rising’. The report included a commentator advocating that it was still a good time to buy, because rents “continue to financially cripple those in rental accommodation”. 

The ensuing year has seen house prices, as predicted that day, continue to rise to eclipse Celtic Tiger levels. However, equally serious, is that landlords are exiting the housing market, many choosing to cash in their chips, and rental property is so scarce as to be almost non-existent in vast swathes of the country.