Longford auctioneer warns of 'malign forces' if we don’t make progress on providing homes
New IPAV President Fintan McGill calls for emergency planning laws until measures in the Planning and Development Act take effect
New IPAV President and Longford auctioneer Fintan McGill has called for emergency planning laws for a period of time to stimulate housing supply until the measures in the recent Planning and Development Act take effect.
Addressing the annual conference of IPAV, the Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers, Mr McGill said, "This would enable builders get on with building homes while the overall planning system adapts to the new system, which is clearly going to take some time to crank up."
Mr McGill, MD of DNG McGill Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon continued, “We’re all aware of the turgid issues with our planning system. Put simply, it places the public good in a subordinate position to the rights of individuals. We’ve tolerated that situation for far too long.”
Also read: Longford auctioneer insists planning issues need to be tackled to help ease housing crisis
The last Government passed the Planning and Development Act 2024. A massive Bill, he said the very welcome changes required will take some time to implement, changes like the restructuring of An Bord Pleanála, into a new body, An Coimisiún Pleanála.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of time, given the magnitude of what we face,” Mr McGill said.
He suggested that one solution would be for Senior Planning Officials and Council CEOs throughout the country be enabled to jointly examine planning applications for small developments of up to 40 units and grant permission.
He said scarcity of supply and unprecedented, pent-up demand is pushing up prices of homes to rent and buy. “The Government has a big task but it must be strong in its response and explain to citizens why tough decisions are now necessary for supply to improve.”
And he said the scarcity of supply means young people are putting their lives on hold.
“Some are delaying starting families. Others are taking their skills abroad in the hope that they can return in a better position to buy a home.”
In 2023 Eurostat, the EU statistical body, found that in Ireland 68 per cent of people aged between 25 and 29 still lived at home. This figure compared with an EU average of just over 42 per cent, a massive 26 per cent difference.
Mr McGill said too many piecemeal interventions had “corrupted the smooth working of the housing market with an over emphasis on stick rather than carrot, over-regulation rather than positive incentives.
And he warned: “In the world in which we live, there are malign forces waiting in the wings to exploit and disrupt, if we don’t make progress on providing homes for our people.”