Ireland politics (Part 2)

[Tim_Riggins]

No idea

[tazdedub]

Eamonn Ryan on leaders questions today. The opposition might actually get some answers to questions today rather than the usual Martin fake outrage.

[TreatyStones]

@Rocko

That makes some sense, to me anyway. The bigger issue you’ve alluded to is why the government or local authorities won’t get involved in the funding at the outset instead of leasing from investors. They do to some extent but probably not enough. I don’t really know the answer to that question. I’m told that the Department of Housing are extremely influential in deciding policy and are very difficult to reform. The Department has long held views on how housing should be funded and allocated etc and it resists any attempts to change it with a zeal/zealousness you wouldn’t expect.

Is this not just the government competing against first time buyers with funds taking a cut in the middle?

[glasagusban]

So Martin is saying they have to allow the tax break or local authorities won’t have priority to lease them?

He also seemed to say in the dáil we don’t have the money on hand to buy them outright. FFS this is exactly the thing we have to be buying now while borrowing costs nothing.

No other way to get around it? What about banning the funds? What about CPO? It’s either an emergency or it’s not.

It’s a bizarre turnabout. Mental.

I am sure SF would be shit at loads of aspects of government, but they are the only party that will fix the housing crisis. It needs radical change and huge investment, we will simply never get it from ffg.

[Copper_pipe]

Aidan Fitzmaurice

[Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy]

Football is another thing that can be added to the list of things Micheal Martin is shit at.

[tazdedub]

@Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy

Football is another thing that can be added to the list of things Micheal Martin is shit at.

john stewart

[Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy]

[TheUlteriorMotive]

I saw Harris and Geoghegan walking through Ranelagh this afternoon.

Geoghegan has a punchable demeanour about him.

[Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy]

Does Martin have a wardrobe of suits only in navy blue?

[Rocko]

@TreatyStones

@Rocko

That makes some sense, to me anyway. The bigger issue you’ve alluded to is why the government or local authorities won’t get involved in the funding at the outset instead of leasing from investors. They do to some extent but probably not enough. I don’t really know the answer to that question. I’m told that the Department of Housing are extremely influential in deciding policy and are very difficult to reform. The Department has long held views on how housing should be funded and allocated etc and it resists any attempts to change it with a zeal/zealousness you wouldn’t expect.

Is this not just the government competing against first time buyers with funds taking a cut in the middle?

In a way. But that’s the challenge with having a housing crisis. You have housing list people (via the State) in competition with first time buyers and that’s the case whether there are funds involved or not.

The country is unfortunately obsessed with increasing property prices (and so are many of our pensions) but the consequences are dire for those who aren’t on the ladder or those who need to move.

[Rocko]

@glasagusban

So Martin is saying they have to allow the tax break or local authorities won’t have priority to lease them?

He also seemed to say in the dáil we don’t have the money on hand to buy them outright. FFS this is exactly the thing we have to be buying now while borrowing costs nothing.

No other way to get around it? What about banning the funds? What about CPO? It’s either an emergency or it’s not.

It’s a bizarre turnabout. Mental.

I am sure SF would be shit at loads of aspects of government, but they are the only party that will fix the housing crisis. It needs radical change and huge investment, we will simply never get it from ffg.

I agree with much of that. It seems a no brainer to borrow and invest now. I do know every civil servant in Finance and Housing will argue against that. And obstruct it. I’d be genuinely curious to see how SF might get on in housing. It absolutely requires radical thinking, I don’t know if they’d actually succeed though in changing the fundamental national approach, particularly if they’re in a coalition.

[Fagan_ODowd]

I saw Stephen Donnelly today. He was sporting an over the shoulder lap top bag look. He looked every inch the technocrat.

@TheUlteriorMotive

I saw Harris and Geoghegan walking through Ranelagh this afternoon.

Geoghegan has a punchable demeanour about him.

[flattythehurdler]

@Rocko

The country is unfortunately obsessed with increasing property prices (and so are many of our pensions) but the consequences are dire for those who aren’t on the ladder or those who need to move.

This is all true. It cannot hold though. Something will have to give or there will be civil unrest (and rightly so imo)

[glasagusban]

I honestly think they would. The most basic requirement is the state to borrow and build a fuck load of houses, and to own and maintain them. There’s other aspects but that’s the main bit. They can succeed in that.

[Biff_Egan]

Would FFG decide not to object to all these houses as the opposition do at the moment?

[glasagusban]

The point is nothing to do with objecting to individual developments. The point is the state needs to own and operate a decent wedge of housing stock, to do that it needs to borrow and build them. SF can make that happen in a term in government. Borrow the money, disburse it to local authorities, start building. That’s achievable.

[Biff_Egan]

It’s achieveable to a degree. The local authorities don’t have the manpower or expertise for large scale building. You’d also have to involve the private sector. And the opposition are adamant that the private sector must not make profits from housing. So while FFG are too biased towards the private sector, going by the rhetoric, the opposition would be too biased against it.

[Tierneevin1979]

Nobody in their right mind would loan money to Ireland if SF were in power mate. They would have as much chance of seeing their money again as the Northern Bank.

[Special_Olympiakos]

Interest rates are zero almost. Really doesn’t matter who is in power anymore