Voters have gone to the polls for the general election and as a subscriber exclusive, The Irish News’ Political Correspondent John Manley has answered your questions on key talking points.
Read his answers below:
Why do the same people keep getting into power promising to fix the housing crisis but don’t fix it?
This question needs to be addressed in two parts.
Firstly, the same parties keep getting into power because people vote for them, though it’s worth noting that Sinn Féin did secure the second largest number of seats in the 2020 election but didn’t end up in government. There’s numerous reasons for that but put simply it can be explained by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s historical antipathy towards Sinn Féin, coupled with what the former two would argue are major ideological differences.
As for the Republic’s housing crisis and the fact that it hasn’t been fixed, that too is a complex one. Less than 20 years ago, there was an oversupply of houses, which was one of the reasons for the property crash, so it’s fair to say that the housing crisis is a relatively recent problem.
As for solving the crisis, it can be argued that the current government, like its predecessors, puts too much emphasis on market forces rather than state intervention. The culture of social housing is different to the north but the current crisis means things are changing, albeit not as quickly as the thousands of those seeking a home would like. Official figures show that in 2023, the the Irish government built 8,110 units of social housing, the highest number since 1975. Also, the system isn’t designed for a quick response, ie. planning, land availability and labour to build houses.
Many believe Sinn Féin is strong on housing and arguably in the best position to solve the crisis, but thus far not enough of the electorate are enamoured by its other policies.
Why are racism and hate crime becoming prominent issues in the election debate?
I’m not entirely sure ‘racism’ per sé is an issue but immigration certainly is. A country once renowned for people migrating overseas, the relative prosperity of the Republic in recent years has made it attractive to those seeking a better life. The people coming to Ireland today are in the same position as those – including myself – who once left Ireland in search of work. It’s important to remember that Irish people still see it as entirely natural, and almost an entitlement, to go to the US and Australia to seek employment.
Climate change and conflict have triggered a greater movement of people from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East in recent years and the Irish government has been largely welcoming to many of those seeking refuge on its shores. But some aren’t so welcoming and blame those arriving from overseas for the pressure on public services.
It can be argued that migrants are being scapegoated by racists for an underinvestment in public services. However, the growth of make-shift encampments in Dublin city centre does suggest a growing capacity problem which needs to be addressed. Personally, I’d argue that rather than Ireland being full, its public services are just under-resourced. The government needs a strategy for harnessing the energy and the talents of the countless young people who come to Ireland from overseas, otherwise we’ll end up with an ageing population and no workforce.
Hate crime is just a recent re-categorisation of what was once just called crime.
Can Sinn Féin promise a better performance in Dublin to their performance so far in the north? They seem to be committed up there to putting themselves and DUP ahead of the people who elected them.
That’s a question only Sinn Féin can answer but I’d agree that the general performance of the Stormont executive, of which Sinn Féin is now the largest party, has been lacklustre – and of course we’ve been without government for all but the three of the past eight years, which is shameful.
In the north, it can be argued that Sinn Féin likes to be all things to all men and to be everybody’s friend – it’s what you might characterise as populism. But being in government doesn’t work like that. In order to change things you have to make hard choices and take difficult decisions that not everybody likes, rather than just blame the Brits for all ills. I don’t think the southern electorate would let them away with that.