HIGH-RISE HOUSING in cities, standardised approaches by local authorities and “fresh thinking” is needed if Ireland is to reach its housing targets, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said.

In an interview with The Journal in New York yesterday, Harris said: 

“I think something disruptive needs to happen here in terms of getting housing to where it needs to get to.”

His comments come as Ireland’s Central Bank’s quarterly report raises concerns about housing targets not being met this year and next, stating that a downward revision of housing targets is likely given the slowdown in delivery.

The report comes after the government failed to meet its 40,000 housing delivery figure last year. This is despite politicians repeatedly stating in the run up the the election that the target would be met and despite warnings to the contrary.

Asked for his reaction to the Central Bank report, Harris said yesterday that he had not seen the embargoed document which was to be published today, as he had been in meetings all day.

Housing projections not an exact science, says Harris

“I haven’t seen that, I’m not disputing that, but what I would say is this, I mean predictions and projections on both sides are not an exact science. I don’t say that to be disrespectful. There’s been some years where they’ve underestimated numbers. There have been some years where we’ve overestimated numbers. So I do take that point. 

“I think the bigger picture is, we’ve said we need to build 300,000 homes by the end of the end of five years. How are we going to get there?” said the Tánaiste. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris speaking to The Journal's Political Editor Christina Finn in New York yesterday.

Harris told a room full of young business innovators yesterday in the Bank of Ireland Hub in Manhattan that there is a need for housing not just to be described as an emergency, but for government to start taking emergency-style action.

Asked about his comment and how some might feel it is too little too late, Harris said he feels very strongly about how the housing emergency can’t just be an emergency for people who need a home.

“I’m not seeking to be critical of any any individual agency… it has to be an emergency for every part of the state. 

While he said he did not want to proportion blame to Uisce Éireann, the water utility, he stated that there’s some parts of the country in which you can’t get planning permission to build a house due to the lack of water connections. 

“That’s not acceptable during a housing emergency. So I mean, what I really want to see happen is every aspect of government, every local authority, every state agency, every government department saying ‘what more can we do?’

Additional money is to be allocated to water from the Apple fund, he said.

“There has to be a direct link with the money we give them and the increased housing supply,” said Harris. 

The revised Housing for All plan, due to be published before the summer, needs to have ‘out-of-the-box thinking’, Harris agreed. 

Ireland is very ‘low rise’

Speaking in the Irish Consulate, against the backdrop of the towering New York City skyline, the Tánaiste was asked if height restrictions for housing needed to be reviewed. Former Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy suggested some years ago that more high-rise was needed, but he was criticised for his view.

When asked if it is now warranted that height restrictions for apartment blocks be changed, Harris said:

“Well, I always do respect the fact that that is for local authorities. I do respect that it’s for the local elected people in people’s communities to decide what’s best for them. But I certainly think we are very low rise, particularly in cities, and I think that is an area that does merit looking at,” he said.

In recent weeks, there have been contradictory comments from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in relation to Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs).

Micheál Martin confirmed that a review of the rental market, including of rent caps, will take place, with a view to reforming the system. While he has repeatedly said that he has not confirmed they will be scrapped, it has caused fear for renters as to what is coming down the track.

“I think we have to be very honest that renters in our country already feel very insecure. Insecure in terms of the fact that they’re paying very high rents,” he said.

Renters are worried that there will be a cliff edge, the Tánaiste said.

“I want to be very clear on this. When my party ran in the general election, in our manifesto, we talked about keeping Rent Pressure Zones. The Programme for Government does, in fairness, say there’d be a review, that’s fine. We’ll go with that. But there can’t be anything that pulls the rug from under renters. We’ve got to get this right.”

Harris said there is a need for analysis and from his point of view, there is unity in government on the matter.

“There can’t be anything done that makes renters worse off,” he told The Journal.