Housing Chief Suggests Housing Crisis Is 'Completely Normal'
Ireland's housing chief has suggested that the housing crisis here is 'completely normal'.
Conor Skehan of the Housing Agency was speaking at the Urban Land Institute conference.
In comments quoted by The Irish Times, Mr Skehan noted that similar trends can be identified elsewhere.
He said: "Our housing crisis is completely normal. Every country in Europe has equivalent issues in terms of affordability, in terms of homelessness, in terms of the appropriateness of the mix."
Mr Skehan, who is stepping down from his role next month, observed that Ireland indulges in "insular thinking" because we are an island.
He also suggested other major European countries such as France and Germany have three times the levels of homelessness that we do.
Speaking at the same conference, Dublin City Council's Owen Keegan argued that green spaces should be considered for housing development.
He said that such development would be in the public interest, saying there is some amenity & open space in the council area that "quite frankly, do not offer significant amenity value".
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