Dublin: Prominent broadcaster Ciara Kelly has said Ireland may need to abandon its long-held attachment to semi-detached housing as the country’s housing crisis shows no sign of being resolved.
Speaking during a discussion on Newstalk, Kelly challenged the traditional Irish aspiration of living in a three- or four-bedroom semi-detached home with front and back gardens. She argued that the model of sprawling suburbs with low-density housing is no longer sustainable.
Kelly said that while she had grown up on the same street as her family and hoped her children would enjoy a similar experience, she does not expect them to be able to live near her in the future. She added that she would not want her children to buy property in her area, given current housing pressures.
With no immediate solution in sight, Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Heney has proposed a scheme similar to the Rural Relocation Programme, encouraging people to move from Dublin to rural areas.
However, Kelly’s co-host Shane Coleman said such comments reflect a broader failure to understand how cities function. He argued that Ireland needs to increase population density in urban centres rather than dispersing people further afield.
Coleman cited Malaga in Spain as an example, noting the prevalence of eight-storey buildings throughout the city and even taller developments close to the city centre, supported by efficient public transport, including a metro link to the airport.
He suggested Ireland should consider higher-density developments in central locations, such as apartment living on O’Connell Street or within major city-centre redevelopments, adding that bold urban planning would be required to meet housing demand in Dublin and other cities.
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