As Ireland’s housing crisis continues, the government announced plans to appoint a so-called “Housing Czar” to oversee and ensure national housing delivery.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed this decision during an interview on RTE’s Morning Ireland (04/04/2025), stating that a strategic housing office will be established within the Department of Housing, and an individual has already been selected to take on the role. The formal announcement is expected before the end of the month.
But I wonder, what does this appointment actually mean?
Will it solve the housing crisis, or is it yet another bureaucratic layer in an already sluggish system?
Summary of the Taoiseach’s Announcement.
- Housing Czar Role – A single point of leadership to oversee housing delivery across agencies and services.
- Strategic Housing Office – To be set up within the Department of Housing.
- Planning Act 2024 – the Planning Commission outlined in the act to be established within the next 2-3 months.
- Planning Framework – The long-delayed National Planning Framework will come before cabinet soon, allowing for potential rezoning and enabling more private sector investment.
- Tenant in Situ Scheme – Under review to ensure more targeted support for renters at risk of eviction.
Public Response – Scepticism and Sarcasm
Well, the current government outright lied during the elections that they were on track to meet housing targets in 2024. We all know how that went.
So as confidence in the state is already at an all-time low, the public response from the Irish public has been overwhelmingly negative. A glance through the comment section of The Journal‘s report reveals deep scepticism, summarised as follows:
- Redundant Role – Many commenters question why the Housing Minister cannot fulfil this role. “Isn’t that their job?” is the dominant sentiment.
- Lack of Transparency – Concerns were raised about the fairness of the appointment process, especially since a candidate has already been “identified”.
- Financial Waste – Several comments highlight fears that this is another “overpaid job” that will produce reports instead of results.
- Symbolic Gesture – The use of the term “Czar” was widely mocked, perceived as a political buzzword rather than a real solution.
This public backlash indicates that any positive impact from the appointment will depend heavily on tangible action and visible results.
The Real Issues the Housing Czar Must Address
1. Planning System Dysfunction
- Planning permissions are currently delayed by outdated frameworks and lengthy appeal processes.
- Secondly, appropriate land may not be zoned or serviced. Rezoning only happens every five years, unless the local authority sees a particularly strong reason not to wait that long.
- Legal challenges and judicial reviews further slow down large-scale developments. For example, if a local authority grants planning permission, third parties (including individuals or interest groups) can appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála. If that fails, they can seek a judicial review in the High Court, which examines how the decision was made, not its merits.
2. Lack of Scalable Developers
- Smaller developers struggle with access to finance and lengthy approval processes with banks.
3. Public Procurement Red Tape
- Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and local authorities face competition for land and labour with private developers who often pay much better — especially in urban areas where land is scarce and expensive.
- Delays in grant approvals reduce the pace of social housing development.
4. Financing Gaps
- Banks are still cautious about development lending. The 2008 financial crisis left banks with huge property-related losses, forcing stricter internal lending policies and a more risk-averse approach.
- It is also worth considering that the long timelines and frequent legal challenges in Ireland’s planning system reduce banks’ confidence that a project will reach completion profitably.
- International investors are wary due to policy instability, rent controls and planning uncertainties.
Can a Housing Czar Solve This?
Potential Advantages.
- The appointed official could act as a facilitator for fast-tracking planning and delivery.
- The official might actually introduce accountability across various departments.
Potential Disadvantages.
- Risk of being a token appointment with no real power.
- May simply duplicate existing roles without addressing root causes.
- Public mistrust could undermine its credibility and effectiveness.
Lessons from Elsewhere – Livret A in France
Some have suggested that Ireland should look at models like France’s Livret A savings scheme, where household savings are redirected into social housing investment.
This centralised and sustainable funding stream has existed for over 100 years and supports over 75% of France’s social housing capital needs. That is incredible! However, such an initiative may require a lot of time to set up in Ireland and public trust – which is in short supply at the moment.
Whether the Housing Czar would have the authority or mandate to implement such bold financial innovations still remains unclear.
Final Thoughts
The announcement of a Housing Czar might appear like a bold move on the surface, but its effectiveness will rest entirely on what follows. Without structural reforms to planning, financing, and public-private collaboration, this role risks becoming yet another powerless figurehead.
The Irish public is rightly wary of political optics, and unless the new Czar can demonstrate quick wins and genuine improvements, scepticism will turn to outright rejection.
Housing in Ireland doesn’t need more titles; it needs more homes.
