Ireland has experienced substantial population growth between 2015 and 2023, leading to intense housing demand, with the current ratio of nearly 4 to 1—meaning there’s only one house available for every four people looking for one. This surge in demand has driven property prices to levels that many young people can no longer afford.
Since the mid-1990s, Ireland’s population has grown from 3.6 million to 5.1 million, but the rate of new housing developments hasn’t kept pace.
A recent analysis revealed that Ireland’s housing demand per capita exceeds that of Spain, the UK, Germany, and the US, and is double that of Australia, which is a major hub for global immigration. With a general election on the horizon, the housing issue is likely to play a role in determining the next government.
According to the current government, the rate of housing completion is now starting to improve, despite the bleak figures. In a statement, Darragh O’Brien, Ireland’s Minister for Housing said: “For ten years up to 2020, not enough homes were being built.
But if I look at what we’re doing now, that in the first two years of ‘Housing for all’, we significantly exceeded our targets, we will do so again this year by delivering private, really good social housing, social housing at a rate we haven’t seen for over 50 years and affordable homes for working people for the first time in a generation.”
However, some critics have argued that the government is failing to help people who are trying to buy a house. For example, in a recent interview, David Hall, CEO of iCare Housing noted: “We have a massive crisis here at the moment that is increasing year upon year and a massive supply and demand that doesn’t mix, doesn’t connect and is completely disconnected and at odds with what our needs are.”
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