Morning Ireland interviews with three people facing difficulty getting on the housing ladder

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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Very interesting interviews this morning.

The first is a 26(I had earlier thought she said 36?) year old single woman living in the country. Not sure where. She is working. She will be on the housing list for another 10 years as she has no children. She has been advised to quit her job and have kids on her own to get on the housing list.

I have great sympathy for her. She should be prioritised on getting social housing close to where she is working.

People who are not working should be allocated housing wherever in the country it is available. Having children should not allow you skip the queue.
 
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The second was a woman renting with her husband and 5 children in Greystones. "We always wanted a big family and we want to stay in Greystones.We can afford to buy a house for €500k but there is nothing available in Greystones for us".

People have to make choices. She is costing the taxpayer a fortune with her 5 children. If she wants to have 5 kids, that is her business, but then she has got to make big sacrifices elsewhere.
 
the third was an engaged couple living in Glenbeigh Co. Kerry. "We are not from the area, but we fell in love with the place and want to live here. We want to build our own home, but the planning won't allow us."

Presumably the scenic beauty of Glenbeigh is why they fell in love with the place and now they want to destroy it with a proliferation of one-off housing.
 
Here is the actual piece

Housing For All plan to be launched today​

Amy Ní Riada speaks to those eagerly awaiting the details of the government's Housing For All plan.
www.rte.ie
www.rte.ie

Grace lives in Tralee is 26 and has been on the social housing list for 7 years. "I have been told by professional people to whom I went for advice, I would be better off if I quite my job, went on the dole, went away and had a child, alone . I would be far better off as a single mother not working. It's sad when you want to work.

For Rachel O'Sullivan in Greystones Co Wicklow, she says that having children was not the answer to her efforts to have a home. We cut our own cloth. We went on to have 5 children, that is what we wanted. We wanted a big family but we sacrificed a home because of that" Rachel's husband is earning 3 times the average wage and yet in 10 weeks's time when her lease is up, her family is facing the very real threat of becoming homeless. "We have mortgage approval for almost half a million euros but month by month it's getting further out of our reach. Moving out of Greystones is not an option for Rachel's young family...

Others haven't even got to the bidding stage even with two stable wages coming in. "Connie O'Connor . I live in Glenbeigh - I am from Cahirciveen and I want to settle down with my fiancée in the Glenbeigh area. "Unfortunately because we are not both from the Glenbeigh area we wouldn't be able to get planning if we bought a site because we don't have a history in the Glenbeigh area"

While all three are different, they have expectations from today's Housing for All Plan

Rachel: I would love to see a vacant house tax. This country badly needs it. I can drive two minutes from my house and there are new build estates that have houses empty in them for 4 years now. They are for sale for €585k and they won't take an offer under that. And those houses are empty now and they have been for 4 years.

Grace from Tralee: It's very easy for the government to support someone who doesn't have a job who is already on social welfare but I would like to see support for those who are "bursting" themselves week in week out
 
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@Brendan Burgess - were any of the latter two cases challenged on their situations?

I'm guessing the single lady was a low earner in that case she seems to have a genuine need for assistance.

The other two cases are having difficulty getting on the housing ladder because of their own choices.

I see it as nothing but a positive that the Glenbeigh couple are unable to get planning for one off housing.
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
Unlikely on average. Over a lifetime they will pay a lot of taxes, including to fund your pension and mine.
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In the meantime it's costing between €35k-€40k a year to send them to school. Add in children's allowance, medical costs etc and the State is probably spending a minimum of €60,000 a year on them. Should they also get a free (or close to free) house in a high-cost area ahead of someone who can buy the same house on the open market.
 
Hi Purple
Just to be clear, the woman with the big family was not looking for social housing. Her husband earns 3 times the national average salary. But she just wants to buy a house big enough for her big family in Greystones.

I know people from Greystones who would love to stay in the area, but can't afford to. They buy elsewhere and hope, that, in time, they can trade their way up and back.

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Hi Purple
Just to be clear, the woman with the big family was not looking for social housing. Her husband earns 3 times the national average salary. But she just wants to buy a house big enough for her big family in Greystones.

I know people from Greystones who would love to stay in the area, but can't afford to. They buy elsewhere and hope, that, in time, they can trade their way up and back.

Brendan
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Fair enough. I'd also like lots of things I can't afford. Do you think morning Ireland would like to interview me?
 
Eireog007 said:
Morning Ireland Presenter “What about that Minister, what are the government going to do about the provision of affordable Unicorns?!”
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Minister: "Well Aine, my department is working on it and we hope to have a plan in place to provide them to everyone in the country by the end of next year. We have provided more free unicorns than any previous government."
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Very interesting interviews this morning.

The first is a 36(?) year old single woman living in the country. Not sure where. She is working. She will be on the housing list for another 10 years as she has no children. She has been advised to quit her job and have kids on her own to get on the housing list.

I have great sympathy for her. She should be prioritised on getting social housing close to where she is working.

People who are not working should be allocated housing wherever in the country it is available. Having children should not allow you skip the queue.
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I listened back. First woman was 26. That does change it slightly. She's only starting out on her working life. A social house will station her in one area and will make her reluctant to move to take other opportunities.
 
PGF2016 said:
I, for one, am more than willing to pay a unicorn tax if it means every gets access to a unicorn. Unicorns are a human right.
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We should have a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to Unicorns. I'm sure there will be no unintended consequences and having it in our constitution will somehow make Unicorns available for all.
 
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Brendan Burgess said:
She is costing the taxpayer a fortune with her 5 children.
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Purple said:
In the meantime it's costing between €35k-€40k a year to send them to school. Add in children's allowance, medical costs etc and the State is probably spending a minimum of €60,000 a year on them. Should they also get a free (or close to free) house in a high-cost area ahead of someone who can buy the same house on the open market.
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Why have you chosen to make these snide, ad hominem comments? You didn't even read the circumstances, she wasn't looking for "a free house", yet straight to turning her circumstances against her. How is she responsible for what the state policy on family is? If I need help with housing and I receive another benefit by default, should I be excluded?

She clearly has to cut her cloth, she was lamenting the housing crisis forcing her to make choices between buying a (suitable) house and staying in her community. The housing market has outperformed expectations considerably in the last year or two and you're holding child benefit and children's schooling against her.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Minister: "Well Aine, my department is working on it and we hope to have a plan in place to provide them to everyone in the country by the end of next year. We have provided more free unicorns than any previous government."
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Oddly enough I think a government representative promising unicorns to everybody in the country, being 5 years late and €1 Billion over budget to finally deliver a load of donkeys with dildos strapped to their heads is an apt metaphor for all Irish government policies.
 
Eireog007 said:
Oddly enough I think a government representative promising unicorns to everybody in the country, being 5 years late and €1 Billion over budget to finally deliver a load of donkeys with dildos strapped to their heads is an apt metaphor for all Irish government policies.
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Brilliant.
 
Eireog007 said:
Oddly enough I think a government representative promising unicorns to everybody in the country, being 5 years late and €1 Billion over budget to finally deliver a load of donkeys with dildos strapped to their heads is an apt metaphor for all Irish government policies.
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Brilliant.

On a more serious note I think the guests on Morning Ireland were poorly chosen if they wanted to highlight a housing crisis.
 
Itchy said:
Why have you chosen to make these snide, ad hominem comments? You didn't even read the circumstances, she wasn't looking for "a free house", yet straight to turning her circumstances against her.
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Brendan correct me on that and I said "Fair enough".
Itchy said:
How is she responsible for what the state policy on family is?
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She's not.
Itchy said:
If I need help with housing and I receive another benefit by default, should I be excluded?
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No, you should be grateful and do everything you can to become self reliant so that you don't have to live off your neighbours.

Itchy said:
She clearly has to cut her cloth, she was lamenting the housing crisis forcing her to make choices between buying a (suitable) house and staying in her community.
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I'm in the same boat. I don't expect other people to subsidise my wants.
Itchy said:
The housing market has outperformed expectations considerably in the last year or two and you're holding child benefit and children's schooling against her.
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No, I'm pointing out that there is already a massive social transfer to middle income families from single people and rich people.
 
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