‘Reactive’ housing policy and government spending – The Irish Times

Dear Sir – Every year we spend over EUR 8 billion from public funds on housing. The HSE received an allocation of €23.5 billion for 2024, but it exceeded its budget by more than €500 million in the first four months of the year. Together, health care and housing account for about one-third of government spending.

How are we doing?

Your lead story on Wednesday was titled “Ireland ineffective and ‘reactive’ on housing” (News, May 22).

The Housing Commission found that Ireland spends among the highest in Europe on housing but has some of the worst performance.

Few of us would be surprised to be told that the same is true of our public health care system.

It is surely time to recognize that our chronic health and housing problems cannot be solved by throwing more money at them.

We need some accountability for the abject failure to manage the enormous resources that the hapless taxpayer devotes year after year to these two key areas of social benefits.

What exactly does the Department of Public Expenditures and (lest we forget) Reforms do? – Yours etc.,

PAT O’BRIEN,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.