Sir, – Conor O’Connell (The Debate: “Will the new measures to boost apartment building deliver more homes?” October 14th) says that apartment building isn’t “viable”, and the Department of Housing claim they cost €550,000-€600,000 each to deliver.
Ten years ago the Department of Housing said the “development of one and two bedroomed apartments is loss-making if aiming to price points around the €200,000-€260,000 mark and only becomes marginally profitable once a ‘package’ of measures is adopted”.
After a decade of deregulation, lower standards, subsidies and tax breaks, the sector is still in search of that elusive “viability”. – Yours, etc.
ORLA HEGARTY,
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Assistant Professor,
School of Architecture,
Planning and
Environmental Policy,
UCD,
Dublin 4.
