Mattie McGrath: Blames Regulations, Defends Bedsits in Housing Debate
Mattie McGrath criticised current housing policy, arguing excessive regulation and anti-builder rhetoric have exacerbated the crisis. He defended bedsits as a source of housing, said he voted against the eviction ban (and later voted to keep its continuation), and urged fewer rules to let builders and organisations build.
Regulations and the housing crisis
McGrath argued that regulation levels are too high across the board, driving builders away and preventing construction. He said the lack of political will to build, combined with piling on more rules, has worsened the housing shortage and left many without homes.
Defense of bedsits
He defended bedsits as practical accommodation, noting they once provided thousands of roofs over people's heads in Dublin. McGrath criticised opponents who pushed to close them as having demonised existing housing options and pushed standards so high they removed usable units.
Eviction ban and announced schemes
McGrath said he voted against the eviction ban and also voted to keep its continuation, and warned that announced schemes after the ban will be hampered by regulation. He suggested that new measures will arrive alongside further regulatory burdens that prevent effective building.
Experience on the housing committee
Drawing on his years on the housing committee, McGrath described his time there as a waste, producing reports and site visits without the will to build. He blamed both government parties and regulatory processes for failing to deliver new housing.
Call to unshackle builders and organisations
McGrath urged authorities to "un-shackle" builders and housing organisations so they can build within reasonable regulations. He warned against demonising developers and ordinary owners, arguing that blaming them perpetuates a charade that avoids actual construction.
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I too am interested in this motion here tonight. Look, you couldn't make it up. You couldn't dream it up. And underspint and housing and so many, 10, 11, 12,000 people are homeless. And look, I'm interested in being made of the bedsits. We had them in Dublin. But many parties here on the left were clamouring and claiming, close them down, they're scandalous and they're abusive and everything else. There were thousands of roofs over people's heads that had units. Yes, the standards now are too high. Cross the board with regulators and regulators. and everything else for everything. And builders are walking away for us. Same as the ordinary householders that had a second property. I won't call them the dreaded edward. They were odd and decent people. They had been demonised by parties of the left here as bad, horrible, greedy people. And then we stoke up a fear here that we have a housing crisis. Of course we have. But you won't allow people to build them or you won't build them yourself. And if you make the most nice here, we'll know one side of a bag of cement or a shovel from the other and never built the house. They can talk all right. I spent four years, five years in the housing committee. The biggest waste of time that I've ever spent in my life. Reports and reports and discussions and debates and side visits. The will isn't there to build a house, first of all, by the government parties. And then the regulations are too high. And even for all the schemes that you will announce after the eviction ban, which I voted against, the continuation of it, I voted to keep it, you will have all the regulations and schemes announced. But for decades, I was chairman for years. We were AGM next Monday night. And they do great work. And many more, hundreds of organizations like it. They can do it. We'll do it. Just un-shackle them. Build within regulations, certainly. But not pile on more and more and more regulations. And demonise the good people who want to build houses. Demonise the developers. Demonise everybody. To hell out the connet with them all. And we'll keep wracking the can. And we'll get more votes by it. The parts of the continent have been looked after. This is a damn fine charade.
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