What is wrong with Ireland’s housing and planning system?

What is wrong with Ireland’s housing and planning system?

Author: The Irish Times November 12, 2025 Duration: 54:54

The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build more affordable homes.


Today on Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan discusses the issues with the planning and regulatory system that some argue is slowing down the process of boosting housing supply in Ireland.


In an essay published in The Irish Times last month, the tech billionaire and founder of Stripe John Collison argued construction, and infrastructure projects more generally, are being held back by regulation and judicial barriers stemming from the planning corruption scandals of the 1980’s and 90’s.


On the podcast today is Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at University College Dublin and a fellow at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, dismissed Mr Collisons case, saying: “It jumps to a solution that doesn’t relate to the problem”.


“There is a thinking that if the market isn’t functioning, the issue must be regulation. That’s a really naive take.


”The evidence doesn’t support that" she added.


Hugh is also joined by Sean Keyes, the executive director of the think tank Progress Ireland, for which John Collison is a significant financial donor, says the argument is not solely about de-regulation.

“We need to build new agency. We need to build state capacity”.


He added: “What the national planning framework does is basically put a thump on the scale of building in Dublin”.


Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair

Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Each week, Irish Times Inside Politics cuts through the noise to bring clarity to the forces shaping Ireland. Guided by host Hugh Linehan, the conversations here go beyond the headlines, offering a deeper, more considered understanding of the political landscape. You’ll hear from the newspaper’s own journalists, who provide grounded insight from the front lines, alongside a range of independent political thinkers and analysts. Occasionally, politicians themselves join the discussion, offering their perspective directly. The result is a nuanced and thoughtful examination of power, policy, and public life that values context over quick reactions. This isn't about partisan soundbites; it's about unpacking the how and why behind the day's debates and long-term shifts. For anyone looking to move past surface-level reporting and grasp the real stories unfolding in Leinster House and beyond, this podcast serves as an essential weekly briefing. The Irish Times brings its tradition of thorough journalism to the audio format, creating a space for analysis that is both accessible and substantive. Tune in for a consistently informed and engaging take on the issues that define the nation's future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Irish Times Inside Politics
Podcast Episodes
Is regime change in Iran a realistic possibility? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:44
Denis Staunton, author of The Irish Times Global Briefing newsletter on international affairs, joins Hugh to talk about the escalating war in the Middle East. They talk about how Iran gradually lost its status as a regio…
'Sorry' doesn’t seem to be the hardest word for Government [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:38
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· In the Dáil on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued an apology on behalf of the State to survivors of abuse in industrial and…
How climate slid down this Government’s agenda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:08
Under this coalition Government Ireland's climate ambitions are colliding with political reality. Hugh talks to Climate and Science Correspondent Caroline O'Doherty about how the current Government is retreating from its…
School SNA row teaches Government a valuable lesson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:58
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The sharp criticism that greeted a review of allocation of special needs assistants in schools around the country prompted a hasty…
Fintan O'Toole: What would fascism look like in the 2020s? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:22
13 months in, Donald Trump's second term is proving to be a much more radical political project than his first. On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Fintan O'Toole to talk about whether the Trump administration's ideolog…
Are politics students getting too narrow an education? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
Disputes over freedom of speech, censorship and the shifting norms of acceptable discourse are part and parcel of modern political debate. Now the debate has come to the Leaving Cert. A review of content of the optional…
Have Sinn Féin adopted a populist stance on Ukraine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:33
Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· This week saw the European Parliament approve a € 90 billion package to support Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia. The…
Irish politics shifted left. Why? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:57
How Ireland Voted is a regular publication featuring academic analysis of Irish elections. The latest edition looks at the 2024 general election and features an essay by Gail McElroy and Stefan Müller that puts party man…
John Mearsheimer: Why Europe still needs the USA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:45
John Mearsheimer returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about his view of geopolitics and global security in 2026.They talk about Donald Trump's unilateralism, the security architecture of Europe, the consequences for Eu…