7 Comments

Hey Michael, what do CR and AP stand for in the summary table image? I assume SH is social housing?

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Cost rental and affordable purchase - should have included that!

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Thanks for the helpful guide! Seems so strange that the centre-right parties want demand subsidies while the centre-lefts are calling those interventions out for market inflation. Feels like any choice for voters comes with contradictions like this that just don't match the core party ideology.

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Both the links in the "What I'm reading" section are to Barra's spend analysis. Would love a link the critique of Help to Buy as well, please? Great stuff as usual, Mick!

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Thanks for letting me know. Here is the link: https://www.thejournal.ie/apple-tax-spending-ireland-6550613-Nov2024/

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It's very interesting to think about consensus, and it certainly does seem like ideological distinctions are less sharp than maybe five years ago. I feel like a small part of this is from having a Fianna Fáil minister! That party has always had slightly looser ideological commitments on housing than Fine Gael (and reversed a handful of policies from the previous government), and holding the ministry does seem to set the tone of political debate to an extent.

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Yes there's no doubt about it, it has made a difference. It would have been great to be a fly on the wall in the programme for Government and Housing for All negotiations

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