Irish Examiner view: Decisive leadership needed to address challenges in building new homes

The new year has brought little comfort to those seeking to get on the property ladder, as the general expectation seems to be that house prices will continue to rise, in the short term at least.

A recurring refrain in debates on our housing and accommodation crisis has been to hark back to the 1930s, when local authorities were able to construct large-scale public housing schemes across the country, even though Ireland was far poorer then as a State, relatively speaking, not to mention the international economic depression of the time.

Two recent news stories are not encouraging if one wishes to pursue the thesis that local authorities may be able to bridge the gap when it comes to providing affordable housing. This week it emerged that building work on Dublin City Council’s affordable housing project in Coolock has been stopped after defects were identified at the site, as well as a failure to comply with building regulations.

It was the council’s own building control authority which raised concerns with developer Glenveagh about compliance with building regulations.

Meanwhile, Cork City Council has been criticised by Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould for its performance in delivering houses in the North West Quarter Regeneration scheme for Knocknaheeny and Hollyhill.

“It has been over two decades since I attended the first regeneration meeting of Knocknaheeny,” said Mr Gould this week. “In that time, only 99 new homes have been delivered.”

In response, the council said 121 homes have actually been delivered in four phases under the scheme — but given the scheme was adopted over a decade ago, that amounts to fewer than a dozen homes per year.

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Development and building is a proverbially complicated area, with the potential for legal delays and complications to arise at any point and halt progress; those seem partly responsible for the delay in Cork. In Dublin, any possible building defects should be addressed without delay, as nobody wants a repeat of either the pyrite or fire safety problems which have led to redress schemes.

These cases illustrate the genuine challenges involved in creating homes, but they also show the need for decisive leadership and urgency in dealing with this matter. Both seem sorely lacking at present.

Trump’s impact north of border

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, after almost a full decade in office.

Trudeau was born to the purple in political terms — his father Pierre was prime minister of Canada when he was born in 1971, while older readers may recall his glamorous mother Margaret as a favourite of the paparazzi during her excursions to Studio 54 in its heyday.

Trudeau Jr’s departure as prime minister is widely seen as an effort to help his party — the Liberal Party of Canada — at the next election: by stepping down, he may make his colleagues more palatable to the voters of Canada.

It is worth looking at one of the straws that broke the camel’s back here, however. Although Trudeau’s Liberals have been slipping in popularity for some time, he cited “internal battles” as central to his decision to step down. This is understood to refer to the resignation of his top cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland last month.

A long-time ally, Freeland was minister for finance up until last December when Trudeau offered her a different position in the cabinet, and she duly resigned.

The rift between her and Trudeau is believed to have included a difference of opinion on how to handle a looming problem: Donald Trump. The incoming US president taunted Trudeau recently, referring to him as “governor” and proposing that Canada become America’s 51st state. Whether made in jest or not, Trudeau was criticised in Canada for not responding more forcefully.

What is more serious is Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs being imposed on Canadian goods going to America, which would be a damaging blow to Canada’s economy. Freeland and Trudeau are believed to have differed significantly on how to handle the matter.

There is general apprehension about the implications of a second Trump presidency. To judge from events in Canada, it has already ended Justin Trudeau’s reign.

Rory Gallagher's appointment

It is unusual for a GAA club appointment to become a matter of national debate, but that was the case with the announcement last weekend that Rory Gallagher was to coach the Naas senior football team.

There was an immediate backlash against the appointment, because Gallagher was at the centre of a controversy two years ago. He stepped down as Derry manager before the 2023 Ulster final following allegations of domestic abuse made against him by his estranged wife Nicola; although there was a police investigation, no charges were pressed.

As reported here, GAA president Jarlath Burns is understood to have expressed his misgivings about the appointment with Naas GAA club directly, suggesting it might conflict with the GAA’s core values. The club executive met subsequently and agreed that Gallagher would not be involved with Naas this season.

The Naas decision is a welcome acknowledgement of valid concerns expressed, but there is a significant complication. Gallagher continues to coach club side Corduff in Monaghan, which raises an obvious question. If Gallagher’s appointment in Kildare conflicts with the GAA’s core values, what does it mean for those values if he continues to coach in Monaghan?