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Hope Bob Geldof gets the nomination nod. A genuine advocate of making the world a better place and has walked the walk on this. I think he has impeccable credentials to become our president

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 12 - 02/09/2025 11:19:26    2634584

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Replying To Freethinker:  "Sorry if there is any confusion re my reply to a post. I don't think anyone, particularly a presidential candidate can sort the housing crisis. I think someone intimated that Jim Gavin might be the man to try sort it, which is why they thought his talents would be wasted if he entered the Aras."
Wasn't directed at you Freethinker. Killingfields and Supersub seem to arguing this point with no-one

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12490 - 02/09/2025 12:11:51    2634593

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Replying To Seanfan:  "We built 81,000 houses (or units!) in 2005.
Now were struggling to build 25,000."
That's because our little country is saturated with houses, nowhere to build them, all green belts gone.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3253 - 02/09/2025 12:26:16    2634595

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "Hope Bob Geldof gets the nomination nod. A genuine advocate of making the world a better place and has walked the walk on this. I think he has impeccable credentials to become our president"
A great man for sure, but doesn't he still live in Faversham in Kent?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17007 - 02/09/2025 13:20:47    2634607

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Replying To Seanfan:  "We built 81,000 houses (or units!) in 2005.
Now were struggling to build 25,000."
Was that 85000 completions, or does that figure include the many 10s of 1000s of houses that we rather foolishly bulldozed instead of finishing a couple of years later?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17007 - 02/09/2025 13:22:54    2634608

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Replying To Freethinker:  "On the housing issue, I am amazed at how long we have taken to wake up and see the real reasons behind the housing shortage. Not enough infrastructure - roads, water, sewerage, electricity, schools or child care. Another major issue is that banks, having broke the country 15/20 yrs ago, are not lending. Most of the larger schemes are being funded by American money. We have strangled ourselves with regulation and red tape. Anyone can object to anything. We have added massively to the cost of building with this insistence on A rated housing - and too much of the build cost is going straight back to government coffers. Vat, taxes on labour, contributions for largely non existent "services". The govt / local authority take per unit directly or indirectly must be close to 40%, or more. . These costs are rarely discussed. Then we have the tax on concrete products inc a bag of cement to cover the cost of the pyrite scandal. Another issue is the skilled labour shortage. We can't import skilled labour from other country's as we have nowhere to house them. So, where would anyone even begin to sort this mess that has been building for many years ? Apologies for the rant."
Our housing demands will never be fixed to suit everyone's need's, the surface area of the ROI is 70,280 sq km. 0r 27,135 sq mls, Our current government said they will build 130,000 new builds a year coming into office for a new term so using that scenario over a 10 year period that add's up to 1,300,000 new builds imagine that, and over 15 short years that comes to a smidge short of 2,000,000 houses.

We are at a crossroads its either a probable 2,000,000 houses and counting awaiting to be built or take a reality check on what is happening long term.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3253 - 02/09/2025 13:44:03    2634610

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "Hope Bob Geldof gets the nomination nod. A genuine advocate of making the world a better place and has walked the walk on this. I think he has impeccable credentials to become our president"
And he doesn't even live in the country a lot of the time. Some boyo.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2505 - 02/09/2025 13:54:19    2634615

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "Hope Bob Geldof gets the nomination nod. A genuine advocate of making the world a better place and has walked the walk on this. I think he has impeccable credentials to become our president"
A bull in a China shop comes to mind. A good man but not for Aras.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2226 - 02/09/2025 13:57:38    2634616

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I don't know much about her only going by by what I heard her saying in an interview some time ago, thought she sounded a good decent woman with good values.
She is well qualified and experienced in politics, the right age profile and a fluent Irish speaker too.
If the likes of you is again her then I'm for her. she must be doing something right if she's getting up your nose."
First of all it's a largely ceremonial role so I am sure she would be fine. It wouldn't upset me at all if she won.

Secondly your post is embarrassing. Admitting you know very little about her but will vote for her based on an interview you heard. Seriously?

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8494 - 02/09/2025 14:07:21    2634617

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Replying To supersub15:  "Our housing demands will never be fixed to suit everyone's need's, the surface area of the ROI is 70,280 sq km. 0r 27,135 sq mls, Our current government said they will build 130,000 new builds a year coming into office for a new term so using that scenario over a 10 year period that add's up to 1,300,000 new builds imagine that, and over 15 short years that comes to a smidge short of 2,000,000 houses.

We are at a crossroads its either a probable 2,000,000 houses and counting awaiting to be built or take a reality check on what is happening long term."
Do you really believe that they will even complete 130000 houses during this term of government, never mind per year?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17007 - 02/09/2025 15:05:18    2634623

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Replying To Viking66:  "A great man for sure, but doesn't he still live in Faversham in Kent?"
Ah sure not a big struggle to move back in fairness

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 12 - 02/09/2025 15:38:24    2634629

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Replying To supersub15:  "Our housing demands will never be fixed to suit everyone's need's, the surface area of the ROI is 70,280 sq km. 0r 27,135 sq mls, Our current government said they will build 130,000 new builds a year coming into office for a new term so using that scenario over a 10 year period that add's up to 1,300,000 new builds imagine that, and over 15 short years that comes to a smidge short of 2,000,000 houses.

We are at a crossroads its either a probable 2,000,000 houses and counting awaiting to be built or take a reality check on what is happening long term."
well we have to go beyond the idea everyone needs a house. apartments are more than good enough for a lot of people if you provide enough services within those apartment blocks.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3817 - 02/09/2025 17:20:28    2634640

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Replying To KillingFields:  "well we have to go beyond the idea everyone needs a house. apartments are more than good enough for a lot of people if you provide enough services within those apartment blocks."
Maybe so but apartment blocks are the tennaments of tomorrow. I sure as hell am glad I'll never have to live in one again.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2505 - 02/09/2025 18:16:33    2634648

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Replying To KillingFields:  "well we have to go beyond the idea everyone needs a house. apartments are more than good enough for a lot of people if you provide enough services within those apartment blocks."
Apartments are more expensive to build than houses though

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 12 - 02/09/2025 18:50:31    2634652

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Replying To Bon:  "And he doesn't even live in the country a lot of the time. Some boyo."
If he became President then he will live in Ireland.Do you think any of the other candidates love Ireland much more than Bob?. Bob has done away more for others than the rest running.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 313 - 02/09/2025 19:12:22    2634654

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Replying To supersub15:  "That's because our little country is saturated with houses, nowhere to build them, all green belts gone."
That's not fully true. Belgium a country which is 40% the size of Ireland, has approximately 3.2m houses and 2m apartments, whereas we have roughly 2m houses and 1m apartments.
There's definitely room for more apartments.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2495 - 02/09/2025 19:14:42    2634655

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "Apartments are more expensive to build than houses though"
We need to address urban sprawl and apartments in many areas of cities or large towns help that. You can have more affordable price with apartments due to smaller size, potential shared maintenance costs.
Not everyone needs a 3/4/5 bed room house.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3817 - 02/09/2025 19:51:19    2634668

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Replying To Viking66:  "Do you really believe that they will even complete 130000 houses during this term of government, never mind per year?"
I don't really know the answer to that, but small negative happenings in the outside world can easily have a effect on our economy and house builds.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3253 - 02/09/2025 20:53:00    2634670

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Replying To KillingFields:  "well we have to go beyond the idea everyone needs a house. apartments are more than good enough for a lot of people if you provide enough services within those apartment blocks."
I travelled by train from Carlow to Heuston station recently for the first time in a few years, once I passed Newbridge for a short few Km's, the recently built and the new builds of appartements began to pop up all over the place, Park West, Cherry Orchard, Font Hill and Adamstown, literally hundredths of them, I couldn't believe what I was looking at on both sides, so no one can say they are not being built in that part of Kildare / Dublin, and that is only one small part of the country, I'm sure you must see it yourself in your journeys.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3253 - 02/09/2025 21:14:14    2634673

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Replying To Bon:  "Maybe so but apartment blocks are the tennaments of tomorrow. I sure as hell am glad I'll never have to live in one again."
No theyre not. thats hyperbolic in the extreme.
You cant compare many apartments to anything like tenements. thats just absurb and yes ive lived in plenty across few areas in the country.
we need to get rid of sprawl and use our cities and towns far better for living in.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3817 - 02/09/2025 22:26:37    2634691

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