The housing plan the Government has outlined doubles down on policies that are not working and is ultimately not going to address the affordability issue. We have policies that are adding fuel to the fire and encouraging inflation in the cost of housing. One of the most frustrating conversations I have in constituency offices is with people who are on an income - a person or a household - between €40,000 and €90,000. That is not to gainsay people below that level because there are huge challenges for people on social housing waiting lists but at least there is an avenue for them, even if the wait is very long and sometimes there are huge issues with that. However, for people who fall into that bracket between €40,000 and €80,000 or €90,000 in Cork city and in large parts of the country, there is nothing for them. Many of those people have done everything right. They have gone to get the best jobs they can. They have worked hard, studied, trained, got apprenticeships and are working all the hours they can. They are saving as much as they can yet they are being approved for mortgages that are absolutely laughable and will not buy them anything. Houses in some of the affordable schemes in Cork city cost nearly €400,000. It is just not realistic. These are not affordable housing schemes and nothing in what the Government has outlined has suggested it is going to get to grips with anything that truly resembles an affordable housing scheme. I am more than disappointed. The Government is going to keep on repeating the same mistakes again. Given the price of housing at the time Government entered office, I would be very worried it will be much beyond that by the time this Government leaves office. I have two suggestions in this regard. First, it seems obvious that if there is a social housing income threshold and there are people earning above that who will not be touched by any realistic commercial mortgages, they need to be considered for social housing. The Government needs to raise the income thresholds. The other issue is some of these people can afford to buy properties that are effectively derelict or shells and so on. It is logical that if those people in that window can afford to buy those properties, they should get specific help with the renovation of them. In addition to their mortgage, they should get a grant, or interest-free loan at the very least, which will also help local tradespeople and contractors to say, "Yes, you go and buy that house that otherwise you would not have the money to make liveable and we will help you make it liveable. We will help you make it a place where you can set up a family." Currently, there is not anything like that. Housing lists need serious reform. There is a lack of transparency and huge issues there where maybe somebody exceeds the limit for a year and comes back in under it, they lose 13 years on this. That is no good.

Sentiment score: 0.08