“Much greater co-ordination across Government, State agencies and industry” is needed to address the lack of sufficient supply of affordable housing, said Gerard O’Toole, president of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI).
Addressing 1,200 guests at the SCSI’s annual dinner last Thursday, he said: “Too often progress is hindered, not by lack of ambition but by fragmentation, not by lack of innovation but by delay and siloed working.
“While new CSO data on completions shows a welcome if modest rise in housing completions and signs that some Government interventions are gaining traction, the message is unmistakable: affordability driven by lack of supply remains the defining challenge of our time.
“Addressing this is not just a housing priority, it is essential to economic growth and social fairness,” he said.
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In his speech, the organisation president highlighted the positive contribution the SCSI is making through its research and apprenticeship programmes.
“Our data is informing national conversations on apartment viability, renovation costs, conveyancing, rental legislation, agricultural land trends and much more.”
He also announced that the organisation is set to expand its surveying apprenticeship programme to make routes into the profession more accessible.
O’Toole, who is a Westport-based selling agent, referred to a recent SCSI report based on a survey of its estate agent members, which forecast that property prices will increase by an average of 4 per cent nationally this year. It also found that 84 per cent of respondents believe current property prices are either “expensive” or “very expensive”.
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However, a similar portion of the almost 200 agents who took part in the survey believe prices are either rising and will level off soon or are at their highest level and should start to decline.
“Constrained supply is driving sustained house price growth and mounting affordability pressures for homebuyers and renters. Those trends look set to continue through 2026 and beyond,” he said.
