When ordinary earners cannot afford extraordinary home prices, the problem is not individual effort. For years, Government policy has treated housing primarily as an investment asset. If design consistently produces €500,000 homes in a city where average salaries cannot sustain them, then that design needs to be reshaped. Government housing policy is not neutral and it reflects priorities. A society that prices teachers, nurses, librarians, civil servants, hospitality workers, and young professionals out of stable housing undermines its own foundations.

Source: The Irish Times February 20, 2026 15:01 UTC