Economist says Ireland’s housing system is most misaligned in Europe

Economist Ronan Lyons told The Pat Kenny Show that Ireland’s housing system is the most “misaligned” in Europe compared with current societal needs.

Lyons, author of *Brittle: How the Housing Crisis Is Breaking Ireland and How to Fix It*, explained that the country built a system centred on the family house and “the semi‑D”, which no longer matches modern living patterns. He noted that most people spend only about 25‑30 years in a family home during an average lifespan of 70 years, leaving a need for pre‑family and post‑family housing that is not being met.

He argued that a healthy housing system requires three pillars – home ownership, a robust social rental sector and a strong private rental market – and that Ireland has relied too heavily on ownership alone.

The housing deficit, estimated by the 2022 housing commission at roughly 230,000 homes, has risen to about 340,000 homes by 2026, an increase of 100,000 in four years. Lyons highlighted that unlike most of Europe, Ireland’s population has grown this century, while people are living longer, marrying later and having fewer children, creating demand for more and varied homes.

Lyons called for a national conversation and a mindset shift about what housing should look like for a modern Irish economy.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Artem Kulinych / Pexels.