Listen Live

Cork TD says housing crisis must be tackled immediately

Thursday, 17 June 2021 07:08

A Cork TD says the housing crisis must be tackled now and not in 12 months time. 

Seán Sherlock was speaking to the Dáil after the government tabled a motion to delay the reading of Labour's Land Bill for a year. 

The bill includes the provision that 100% of the units built on public land would be set aside for social and affordable housing.

It would also give local authorities the power to issue compulsory purchase orders to buy land at it's existing use value plus 25%, rather than market value. 

Seán Sherlock hit out at moves to delay the bill.

"There is an opportunity here, in the here and the now, to address the issue of housing.

"It is the issue of our time and our generation as politicians, and I'm disappointed that the minister has come to us with this response."

Sean Sherlock's warning comes as houses in Cork have been selling for 10% or more over their guide prices in the past year.

It's been put down to pent-up demand and a shortage of supply.

In the year to April, the cost of houses and apartments rose 4.5% nationally according to the latest figures from 
the Central Statistics Office.

Properties by the coast in Ireland are now 23% more expensive than they were before the pandemic,
according to the Daft.ie Coastal Report 2021.

Schull in West Cork saw one of the biggest increase at 34 per cent.

Share

More from Cork