Sir, – I watched the proceedings in Dáil Éireann earlier this week with exasperation and dismay as elected representatives engaged in a theatre of disingenuous sentiment regarding the charge of being a “slíbhín” (“Taoiseach called ‘slíbhín’ for defence of changes to rental system amid record rent hikes,” May 20th).
A chorus of calls denouncing unparliamentary language rang through the Dáil, yet the lived reality for ordinary people is that property ownership has become a dream.
Young men and women are living in their parents’ homes, unable to buy, and increasingly unable to afford exorbitant rents. The root cause of this national crisis, I contend, lies in policy decisions by successive governments that have facilitated mega-wealthy individuals and funds in purchasing large swathes of new and existing housing, thereby disenfranchising ordinary citizens.
Until politicians enact robust legislation that prioritises owner-occupier home ownership, the situation will continue to deteriorate.- Yours, etc,
READ MORE
Thomas O’Connor,
Crumlin,
Dublin 12.
