Housing

Analysis: Varadkar tweaks government narrative around housing supply

The Taoiseach’s comments about supply alone not reducing house prices shows that the government is considering deeper policy interventions

Leo Varadkar talked about the need to scale up the number of homes being built in Ireland, but added the caveat that increasing supply "on its own will not solve this problem". Picture: PA

Since 2016, the government has consistently leaned on a straightforward solution to the housing crisis - supply, supply, supply.

On paper, it makes sense. Addressing the supply-demand imbalance in the housing market will begin to correct rising rents and house prices. In an ideal scenario prices will come down, and that will, over time, make housing more affordable.

Micheál Martin, when he was Taoiseach, talked about “supply, supply, supply” being the main answer to the ...