Irish Examiner view: No sign of the urgent action Ireland needs to tackle the housing crisis

The ESRI Ireland housing supply report is particularly stark as it does not factor in pent-up demand from years of undersupply

The Economic and Social Research Institute projects that Ireland will need up to 53,000 new homes per year just to keep up with population growth. Stock picture: Denis Minihane

The crisis in housing and accommodation has an impact on almost every imaginable part of Irish life. Employment opportunities cannot be availed of because accommodation is either too expensive or simply unavailable.

There is a simmering threat to industrial development and investment because of the crisis, while skyrocketing student rents make college hugely expensive. The regulatory and legislative framework around housing is in chaos and the far right routinely exploits uncertainty in this area to stoke fear and hatred.