A housing expert from Waterford says a crisis is brewing because of investment funds.
A full ban on these funds buying up residential property is being considered by the Housing Minister and this has largely been triggered by the purchase of a full estate of houses in Kildare recently.
Dr Rory Hearne from Tramore, is Assistant Professor of Social Policy in Maynooth University:
"What we need to do is increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes, which are being built on a not-for-profit basis," he told Deise Today on WLR.
"So the market can be there, but the problem is when you hand everything over to the market, then the market will never supply affordable housing.
"The State needs to play a key role in both funding and also coordinating the delivery of affordable homes."
The Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, has said today that he doesn't agree a full ban on investment funds is the right step to take.
He has dubbed the notion "ideologically extreme", saying it would be a mistake.
Dr Rory Hearne says he believes the power to build needs to be given back to county councils as well:
"If we look at the councils, for example the local authority in Waterford, we know there are huge waiting lists for social housing.
"Not one affordable house was built by a local authority in this country for the last decade. Not one.
"And so the point is that yes, we need to stop the investors, but even more importantly, we need to get back to funding local authorities, to funding and supporting not-for-profits to build genuinely affordable homes for people to rent and to buy."
He told Damien Tiernan that the issue of vacant properties also needs to be seriously examined:
"Why is there not a vacant property tax? Why is there not a derelict tax?
"You walk through Waterford and you see parts in dereliction. You see buildings derelict, you see houses derelict.
"You know, the State has a role in actually funding the regeneration and rejuvenation of those properties. And if the private owners aren't willing to invest in them, then they should be taxed I think."
You can listen back to Rory Hearne's interview on Deise Today by clicking below here...
