Sir, – David Doran (Letters, May 15th) writes that house prices could be significantly reduced if Government opted for compulsory purchase orders of lands required for urban development and ended the gravy train of speculation in land prices allowed by the rezoning system, and he suggests paying double or treble the agricultural price, thereby reducing the cost of housing. In fact, the Kenny report of 50 years ago recommended a very similar approach except he suggested a premium of 25 per cent on agricultural prices, cutting site costs even more. A similar system is operated in the UK. Successive governments have refused to act on this report.
The constitutional protection of private property is sometimes cited as a reason but that protection is explicitly limited by social needs. In any any event, if constitutional change is required we have had referendums in the recent past on less important issues, such as the minimum age for candidates for the presidency.
So why have successive governments refused to consider implementing the Kenny report? – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
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Greystones,
Co Wicklow.