A Kerry county councillor has claimed that couples working full-time have asked him whether they should quit their jobs, as they believe it is the only way they will ever get their own home.
Kerry Independent Alliance councillor from Killarney, John O’Donoghue, made the comments at a recent Killarney Municipal District (MD) meeting.
He said it is a sign that the housing system is fundamentally broken when couples, both of whom are working in what would traditionally be considered good jobs, cannot afford to buy a home.
Cllr O’Donoghue said he never thought he would hear people ask whether they would be better off quitting their jobs and going on the housing list.
He said some feel this may be their only hope of ever securing a home.
Cllr O’Donoghue commended the work carried out by the Department of Housing on social housing.
He said that situation has “improved greatly over the last year or 18 months”.
However, he said it is vital that affordable housing plays a much larger and determined role in addressing the housing crisis.
Cllr O’Donoghue said there is a growing feeling among the “squeezed middle”, particularly young people, that they are paying for everything through their taxes while receiving very little in return.
He added that many people living overseas would like to move home, but believe it is completely unrealistic to think they could afford to buy a house in Ireland.
The Killarney councillor claimed that all of these people are increasingly being forgotten about.
