Edward Timmins
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his response. We have interacted quite a bit at committee level on the same topic and will continue to do so. The starting point is a detailed, accurate and complete budget.”
“I will list some specific items, but the list is not exhaustive. Regarding funding given to quangos, can we review whether there is overlap between these organisations and if the Government is funding them to do the same things?”
“We should use data and KPIs to monitor the cost and outcomes of services, encourage the use of shared buildings and dispose of underused properties to reduce overheads and waste.”
“The 132 bus service is the only bus to Dublin for most of west Wicklow. A year ago, I was told by the National Transport Authority, NTA, that the frequency of the service would be doubling. Nothing has happened since then. How do different Departments and Government bodies talk to one other?”
“Never has it been so important to highlight the close relationship we have with the United States. This trail would promote our close ties. It is a perfect example of the use of soft power.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I am glad that progress is being made. The actions announced are the start of what will, hopefully, be a fully-fledged tourist route. I strongly believe that this proposal could be a positive North-South project.”
The complete record
Every one of 219 lines we hold for Edward Timmins, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 5.
“We must continue to bring more changes to maintain this momentum. For example, the cost of building a home is too high. We must look at moves to reduce this cost. In many parts of the country, the cost of building a home exceeds the market price so no one will build. Hence, no new house building is taking place, yet there is demand for housing in these areas. This is a clear example of where Government intervention would help, for example, by reintroducing a waiver for development levies. This worked well in the past and can be the difference between a builder deciding to build or not. Alternatively, we could consider a temporary reduction in VAT to kick-start building. A special focus on affordable housing is also needed to allow it to be expanded.”
“To give an international context to this, many countries have severe challenges with house and apartment building. For example, China had a massive oversupply until a year ago, with 60 million empty units at one stage. On the other hand, Germany has a housing shortage, like us, and had a target of 400,000 units for 2024, but only completed approximately 230,000. That is equivalent to Ireland having a target of 25,000 and building 14,000 because Germany's population is 16 times bigger. We need to put our situation in context. I have yet to see a convincing policy from the Opposition that would make a difference in housing delivery. The solution to housing supply is not a few particular elements. It is a combination of a huge number of things. Recent proposals from the Government are just one part of the solution.”
“However, the best way to protect tenants is to have an increased supply. We can bring in all the rules in the world, but if there is a shortage of houses, those rules have limited impact. They can also often have unintended consequences. For example, many landlords have left the market in the past few years because of more and more regulation. The challenge in this country arose because of a successful economy that has delivered 100,000 additional jobs per annum along with the resulting increase in population. Jobs and population increases happen much more quickly than house building. A tap cannot be switched on for house building. It occurs on a longer timescale than increases in demand and, equally, it can quickly fall away. The Government continues to make many changes that will speed up house building.”
“I welcome the extension of rent pressure zones to all parts of the country. By any measure, this Government and the previous one have done many things to protect renters. I want to blow away the myth that tenants are not protected in this country. I have experience of other European countries. These are often cited as being much more favourable to tenants. This is often not the case. In Germany, for example, if tenants do not pay their rent for two months in a row, landlords can quickly get a court order to evict them. This is quickly followed by a bailiff coming to evict. That is not the case in this country. Similarly, no-fault evictions apply in Germany if landlords wish to use the property for themselves or their families. This Bill protects tenants and that protection also takes effect the day after its enactment.”
“Baltinglass, a small town in west Wicklow, contains nine hillforts in its vicinity. It is described by experts as the hillfort capital of Ireland. Research work and archaeological digs have been conducted by Dr. Alan Hawkes and Dr. James O'Driscoll under the auspices of Professor William O'Brien, all from University College Cork. This has further revealed many other ancient sites. The lead researchers have described the area as the archaeological capital of Ireland. I bring this to the attention of the House and ask for the Taoiseach's support to develop this huge part of our history and heritage and bring it to a wider audience.”
“The average cost across the country is €28,000, as per the most recent NOAC report. There is a national spend of over €100 million. The Government provides €11,000 per house and not €800. The waiting times can clearly be improved. Some counties take an average of 60 weeks for a refurbishment while one takes only 13 weeks. However, there are a variety of reasons for delays, including delays with contractors, the time taken for full retrofits and tenant refusals of properties. I reiterate that we need to monitor vacancies on a monthly basis at county level and use the reports we have used in Wicklow.”
“Of course the lead time for reletting of vacant property should be shorter but remember that all relets are brought up to a high standard and many of the houses have not been refurbished in decades. I see some false information being put into the public domain by politicians, in particular statements that funds given for refurbishment are of the order of €800 per house. That is actually the maintenance cost.”
“I wish to bring my experience as a county councillor to the topic of vacant homes. I was until recently a member of Wicklow County Council. A number of years ago as the housing challenges became more acute, I proposed that every month councillors receive a total number of vacant houses, broken down by district. This could be discussed every month at our full council meeting. This happened. I also asked that the list be aged by how long the houses were vacant. The proposal was adopted by the council. My logic for introducing it was that if you want to manage something, you must first measure it. I ask that Members, rather than constantly focusing on being critical, come up with practical solutions. I call on all councils to implement what we did in Wicklow a number of years ago.”
“I do not want to speak on the other anomalies I have found in the fair deal system because this flaw is so great that the Government must focus on it fully and get it resolved.”
“The person who has the land would have to cover the shortfall of €22,000. Where are they supposed to get this money? No three-year time limit such as that which applies to the assets of the person in the nursing home, for example, their house or farm, applies to this so it could go on until such time as the total value of the land has been paid over, perhaps 14 years. This is totally daft. There is no possibility of deferment of payment as there is in the case of the family home. This is therefore a very substantial financial burden on families. Where are these families to get the funds? I know of a case in which this financial burden is causing great financial hardship. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that it is totally unfair and must be changed immediately.”
“I will highlight a totally unfair flaw in the operation of the fair deal scheme as it relates to land transfers. This is causing great financial hardship for families. I will explain how this operates. This rule must be changed. In over 20 years in politics, I have never come across such an unfair system. I have raised this matter previously. If a family transfers land within five years of the owner entering a nursing home, this land is valued and, if the recipient leases the land, he or she must pay the nursing home 7.5% of the value of the land on an annual basis with no time limit. I will give an example. If 40 acres of land was transferred and valued at €400,000, the recipient would be liable to pay €30,000 per annum to the nursing home. This land might be rented for approximately €8,000.”
“I often see a gap between the way the councils operate and what happens here in Leinster House. The councils need to be closely involved in the delivery of housing. Delivery must be micromanaged. These targets must be drilled down further, with monthly figures produced by all local authorities of actuals versus targets, and explanations given. This is the only way to deliver a large number of houses. The Minister must then meet the CEOs of the councils and the head of planning on, say, a quarterly basis. This method is exactly the way a business would aim to achieve its targets. I will just mention tiered zoning. In many current plans it is tiered, even when both have access to services. There should be no tiered zoning in these cases because if tier one is not developed, it often precludes tier 2 from being developed, which is wrong.”
“I want to raise two other related matters. The Minister of State has referred to one of them, which is headroom. The time taken for these amendments to the county development plan is too long as it can take up to nine months. Can we look to expedite this timeframe? To discuss in more detail the issue of headroom, from my experience of development plans, the previous direction from the Office of the Planning Regulator was 0% headroom, which is very misguided. It is imperative that there be a considerable percentage headroom because in practice many sites will not be developed for various reasons. All landowners are not ready to go to developers. In the real world, site development often has many obstacles, including cost, that may lead to planning refusals. I suggest headroom in the order of 70%.”
“How quickly will the new national planning framework, NPF, housing targets be given to the county councils so they can amend their county development plans? Currently many planning permissions are being refused because the development plan's core strategy has population targets too low. Given this delay, I have seen a planning application for 335 houses in Blessington, County Wicklow, supported by the council and all elected members refused by An Bord Pleanála because the local area plan was not up to date with the new housing targets.”
“I am sure these qualified ADIs could, with additional training, make up the shortfall in the number of driving testers and help to reduce waiting lists to an acceptable level. The backlog, as other speakers pointed out, is creating many issues for those wishing to meet employment and education requirements, with many losing out on opportunities as a result of the long waiting lists.”
“Currently, a learner driver applies for a test and can wait up to eight or nine months for it. They may contact the ADI for pre-test lessons. An ADI-led programme would allow ADIs, subject to training, to conduct tests outside their teaching areas. For example, a system of 25 hours of tuition plus additional personal driving hours and a three-week waiting list to sit the test would be better received by the public. As stated, ADIs have invested time and expense to be trained to RSA standards. Many have trained to a level in excess of the RSA standards through external testing qualifications, for example, the national diploma in advanced driving instruction, the Cardigan test and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents advanced driving test bronze, silver and gold.”
“All this knowledge and experience is not recognised by the RSA, however, even though it sets the standard for the ADI check test. Why not have driver-testing ADIs similar to those in the UK? An ADI will instruct someone and then use their professional judgment and experience to decide when he or she is ready for the test. There is a disconnect in the present system from those who teach the learning outcomes - the essential driving training lessons - and those who test those outcomes. This is causing the long waiting lists. Learners usually apply on the basis of the calendar as opposed to driving hours. Many no-shows are a result. Learners are not test ready as a result of a lack of educational direction. An ADI-led training programme would be more beneficial.”
“I have a proposal that might be a solution. We have all diagnosed the problem fairly well at this stage. A total of 83,000 applicants were waiting for driver tests in April. The proposal I have today may help solve the long driver test waiting times. Will the RSA work with the approved driver instructors, ADI, in a more effective way? Often the ADI are not fully aware of all aspects involved in a driver test. I call on the RSA to co-operate and use the ADI. The approved driver instructors comprise a large resource of approximately 2,000 people who are not being fully used. They would have a large impact on driver test waiting times if they could be utilised. ADIs are trained, at great expense, to deliver driver education.”
“For example, residents in this area, who once had a direct bus to Loughlinstown hospital, now must swap buses or walk what are often unsustainable distances to the new bus stops. Sustainable investment in rail infrastructure is the most effective long-term solution for this area. Fast-tracking the Luas green line extension to Bray and Fassaroe would provide reliable and efficient alternatives to car travel.”
“I want to raise the issue of the proposed closure of Herbert Road in Bray. It is an essential route for residents, emergency services and local businesses and almost everyone in the town and the wider area is against its closure. The closure of the junction will create significant traffic congestion in north Wicklow. Closing Herbert Road and improving the bus corridor should not be mutually exclusive. A more balanced approach would be to terminate the southbound bus lane before the Herbert Road junction. As a result of BusConnects, the recent loss of the 145 bus route, which serviced many estates on or near Herbert Road, is causing significant hardship for elderly residents.”
“The plan refers to maintaining the strategic capacity and safety of the national roads network, including planning for future capacity enhancements. This must include the new N81 and the upgrade of the N11-M11.”
“Can we consider working with housing bodies to deliver full, affordable housing schemes? They currently do hundreds of social schemes but can they do affordable housing schemes? This is really badly needed. Could the council work directly with developers to deliver affordable housing estates? The rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, is referred to in the plan. This has proved a good scheme but it needs to happen quickly. On rural planning, the definition of areas under urban influence was far too stringent in the previous NDP. I hope that definition is narrowed in this plan because in County Wicklow, apart from one townland, the whole county is deemed to be under urban influence. This can result in the refusal of genuine rural planning grants, which I have witnessed.”
“It is, therefore, uneconomic and development will not happen. Under current market conditions, such a house would not be developed. That is not to say it could not become economically possible to develop in the future so the land should not be dezoned. The tax should not apply to such locations. Flexibility is required as market conditions change. In practice, the only housing that is viable in these areas is by the councils or housing bodies. This results in locations not having a balance between social and private housing, and results in private house buyers being shut out of the market. I know of several examples where housing bodies have bought up estates in small towns and local buyers cannot purchase them. Affordable houses are mentioned several times but without figures or targets.”
“These county targets must be drilled down further, with monthly figures produced by all local authorities showing actual figures versus target figures, and explanations given. That is the only way to deliver large numbers of houses. The Minister must then meet the CEOs of the councils and the heads of planning on a quarterly basis. This method is exactly the way a business would aim to achieve its targets. The residential zoned land tax is referred to a number of times in the document. As in many aspects of planning, there is a real gap between the planners' view of the world and the economic realities on the ground. Many areas of the country that are zoned are uneconomic to develop. That means the cost of developing and building a house would exceed the selling price of the house.”
“I know that in Wicklow, some local area plans have expired, such as the one in Blessington. I am aware of the same issue in other counties, including Kildare and Wexford. How long will this review of the local area plans and county development plans take? Normally, this process takes nine months but we do not have that time. Is there any way we can expedite this? The target figures for each town should not be caps, which is how the system currently operates. Can An Bord Pleanála be given deadlines for planning decisions? I know of a case where a decision was due from An Bord Pleanála last July and still, over nine months later, no decision has been made. From a national point of view, councils must be closely involved in the delivery of housing. Delivery must be micromanaged.”
“If, for example, tier 1 zoning is not developed, it stops tier 2 development, even though tier 2 could have access to infrastructure. I will make a suggestion regarding expired local area plans. Currently, if someone appeals a grant of planning permission, An Bord Pleanála will refuse on the grounds that the local area plan is out of date. Would the Minister consider giving expired local area plans legal status or extending their lifetime to avoid such refusals until such time as they are updated? The challenge now is that the forward planning units of the county councils will have to choose between updating the local area plans and updating the county development plans. My suggestion could avoid that resource issue. In any case, the forward planning units need guidelines from the Minister.”
“All landowners are not ready-to-go developers and real-world site development often has many obstacles, including cost, and may lead to planning refusals. I would suggest headroom of the order of 70%. I welcome the reference to substantially better linkage between the zoning of land and the availability of infrastructure. Policy objective 103 states, "When considering zoning land for development purposes that cannot be serviced within the life of the relevant plan, such lands should not be zoned for development." The problem with that is we do not know what Irish Water's specific plans are for the lifetime of the development plans. Tiered zoning refers to lower tiers with fewer services. Many current plans are tiered even when they both have access to services. There should be no tiered zoning in these cases.”
“It is important that these guidelines are rolled out to the county councils as soon as possible to allow them to amend their county development and local area plans. Because of the delay, I have seen a planning application for 335 houses in Blessington, County Wicklow, which was supported by the council and all the elected members, refused by An Bord Pleanála because the local area plan was not up to date with the new housing targets. No guidance has been issued at this stage on headroom. From my experience of development plans, the previous direction from the Office of the Planning Regulator was 0% headroom, which was misguided. It is imperative that there is a considerable percentage of headroom because in practice, many sites will not be developed for various reasons.”
“For example, we should put emphasis on near-sourcing. This means increasing trade with our nearest neighbour, the UK, and with European countries. This policy also supports a lower carbon footprint in our international trade. Enterprise Ireland recently published its five year strategy. I welcome this strategy and it puts specific targets in place. To support this existing trade and grow future trade, we need to invest in infrastructure. If we do not invest, we will fall behind and stagnate. Finally, regarding strategy, I urge a cautious approach in negotiations. At this point we should hesitate to retaliate. President Trump will want quick deals and not to have the negotiations drag out.”
“The tariffs may not have caused the Great Depression which followed shortly after but it certainly contributed to it. It led to anti-Americanism around the world, for example, in Cuba, whose economy collapsed and that legacy remains to this day, 100 years later. In high-income countries the average tariff on manufacturing goods is now just 1.8%, it is 5.5% on middle-income countries and 14% on low-income countries, so there is a correlation between wealth and low tariffs. Ireland being part of the EU must do most of its negotiation with the EU but we must also use our unique connection to the US as part of these negotiations. The EU must support us in these efforts. We are more exposed than any other EU country. Given the vast changing conditions in world trade, Ireland needs to react to these new conditions.”
“Similarly, with China. The US does not dominate world trade in the same way it dominates, for example, defence. A 20% tariff on the EU has exactly the same effect as a devaluation of the US dollar by 20% as far as US consumers are concerned. Also, these tariffs are expected to raise approximately $400 billion. This is the equivalent of increasing average income tax on every American worker by about $2,000 per annum, not to mention the fact that the dollar has also weakened. History warns us against tariffs. They are a lose-lose approach to international trade. In 1930, the US introduced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs. This resulted in an average tariff of 60% on imports. Countries in the rest of the world retaliated and imposed their own tariffs. This led to deep division.”
“We all know the huge benefit international trade has had on this country. On a finance basis alone, of the €97 billion we take in in taxes, more than €50 billion is attributable to our multinationals by way of corporation tax, VAT and PAYE. This supports all the services this State supplies, including health, social welfare and education. I often think this fact is lost on many people. I wish to raise four specific issues relating to tariffs. First, I will put some context on the current effective tariffs. Second, I will discuss lessons from history on tariffs. Third, I will discuss what Ireland should do in relation to tariffs and, fourth, I will discuss our future international trade strategy. The US economy is large but the EU economy is also large, being two thirds the size of the US one but equal in terms of purchasing power parity.”
“The Office of the Planning Regulator must refrain from introducing tiered zoning. It must look at the bigger picture and support house building rather than having an overly strict interpretation of policy. Can deadlines be put on An Bord Pleanála for decisions? County councils adhere to a strict deadline for planning decisions but the board does not. I know of a planning decision that was due last July and the applicant is still waiting on the board.”
“This could include parks, sports facilities and other community benefits. This infrastructure should be the norm, of course, but we need to see a clear correlation between housing delivery and infrastructure delivery. I would also like to see a detailed target for affordable housing. This area of housing has been neglected and needs specific focus. The monthly delivery figures should show affordable, private, social and cost rental. I have other suggestions. Can restrictions be lifted on tiered zoned land? Tier 1 land must be developed before tier 2 land is allowed to be developed, but that needs to be loosened up. Can planning permissions that are due to expire in the next two years be extended? We are in a challenging situation and we must remove all roadblocks to house building.”
“That answer is high level. What I am getting at here is that more micromanaging is required. In particular, each county has a target but I would suggest this should be monitored on a monthly basis, with an explanation sought if it is not reached. This should be done cumulatively as well. It should even go so far as having quarterly meetings with CEOs and the heads of planning and the Minister and Minister of State with responsibility for housing. It needs to be done at that level, otherwise it will not happen. On a separate aspect of housing delivery, what is the motivation for councils to deliver more housing? I suggested a monitoring procedure as one way. Another way is to incentivise councils, as happens in England. Councils that reach delivery targets could be rewarded with extra funding for infrastructure.”
“My suggestion could avoid that resource issue. In any case, the forward planning units need guidelines from the Minister. In Wicklow, some local area plans have expired and I am aware of the same issue in other counties including Kildare and Wexford. How long will this review of the local area plans in the county development plans take? Normally, this process takes nine months. Is there any way we can expedite this? The targets for each town should not be a cap as it currently operates.”
“This is the only way to deliver large numbers of houses. The Minister must then meet the CEOs of the councils and the heads of planning quarterly. This method is exactly how a business would aim to achieve its target. Furthermore, I wish to make a suggestion on expired local area plans. Currently, if someone appeals planning permission that has been granted, An Bord Pleanála will refuse on the grounds that the local area plans are out of date. Will the Minister of State consider giving expired local area plans legal status or extending their lifetime to avoid such refusals until such time as they are updated? Because the challenge is the forward planning units in the county councils, the county councils will have to choose between updating local area plans or updating the county development plans.”
“I presume that percentage will follow, and I hope it will be a significant figure. The limiting of zoned land to exact population targets means that, in practice, there is not enough zoned land, thus preventing planning grants for much-needed housing. This restrictive and inflexible policy has led to much dezoning in a time of housing shortage. The current targets for Wicklow are clearly way too low. For this year, they are 1,411 houses, dropping to 969 in 2028 and to 528 in 2029 and 2030. Clearly, that is not fit for purpose. From a national perspective, councils must be closely involved in the delivery of housing. Delivery must be micromanaged. These targets must be drilled down further, with monthly figures produced by all local authorities of actuals versus targets and explanations given.”
“This update was not possible because the national planning framework had not been updated. Red tape stopped 335 houses in west Wicklow. This existing framework is based on the 2016 census, which is way out of date. In the County Wicklow development plan of 2022, on which I made 48 submissions, we had the bizarre situation where many towns had their residential zonings dezoned at a time when we all knew there was a housing shortage. Additionally, the new framework needs to allow headroom, which was used previously in zoning guidelines to take account of the fact that many zoned lands are unlikely to be developed for a variety of reasons. It is really important that we have significant headroom in the new plan. Browsing through it today, there was no mention of headroom.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here this evening. I want to discuss the individual county council building targets from 2025 to 2030 and the actuals from 2020 to 2024. The national planning framework needs to be finalised. I have been raising this since I came here and, prior to that, in my time as a county councillor. Coincidentally, a first revision was published today. I hope it can be put through the Houses of the Oireachtas quickly. The delay so far is preventing much-needed house building because the current plan is based on outdated population figures and is preventing planning permission approvals. Recently, in Blessington, County Wicklow, planning for 335 houses, supported by Wicklow County Council, was refused by An Bord Pleanála because the town plan had not been updated.”
“Will the Minister give an update on three secondary schools in west Wicklow: Blessington Community College; Scoil Chonglais, Baltinglass, and St. Kevin's Communtity College, Dunlavin? These are all awaiting building projects to commence. With a growing population in west Wicklow and further development planned in the area, these projects require urgent attention. These are the only secondary schools in west Wicklow and they are crying out for extra spaces. The projects are not moving along. The commencement date for Blessington has been delayed three times.”
“For example, CSO data recently showed that of 449 people who died by suicide, 80% of those were men, which is 359. Will the Minister of State outline what measures contained in the programme for Government would support and complement the important work that begins next week in west Wicklow?”
“Next Monday will see the launch of a new men's mental health programme in Baltinglass, County Wicklow. This is the Headsup programme. Headsup is an evidence-based mental health education and training programme for men who are finding life stressful, have issues with unemployment, feel isolated or lonely and who wish to learn ways to improve their well-being. Headsup gives men the opportunity to build their mental health and physical fitness, while developing their ability to make connections, set goals and develop a life plan to get back on track. In an era of increasing rural isolation, mental health issues are often cited as particularly acute. I see this myself at first hand. This is also evidenced by the high suicide rate among men.”
“It is not just about improving the quality of our lives. It is about securing our future. As anyone in business knows, if you do not invest, you will fall behind and stagnate.”
“This means increasing trade with our nearest neighbours, namely, the UK and other European countries. Unlike an increasing number of countries, these are our reliable partners. This policy also supports a lower carbon footprint in our international trade. Enterprise Ireland recently published its five-year strategy. I welcome this and I like that it has put specific targets in place. It aims to increase client-company export sales to €50 billion by the end of 2029, with a target to grow job numbers to 275,000. The strategy includes many other targets. Similarly, the IDA recently launched a very ambitious five-year strategy that contains high investment targets for our multinationals. To support this existing trade and grow future trade, we need to invest in infrastructure. Such investment is money that gives a return.”
“This is critical because we are far more exposed than any other country. Our exports to the US are a large percentage of our GDP. Our pharmaceutical, medical devices and food and beverage industries must not be sacrificed in the tariff negotiations to the benefit of other EU industries such as the automobile industry. I was pleased to hear the Tánaiste announce yesterday that he would begin a series of calls with his European counterparts and would meet the trade forum on Friday. Over the past ten years, Ireland has developed its exports to the US markets very successfully. We need to protect that. Regarding Ireland's strategy, given the fast-changing conditions in world trade, Ireland needs to react to them. For example, we should put emphasis on near sourcing.”
“The rest of the world retaliated and countries imposed their own tariffs. This led to deep division. The tariffs may not have caused the Great Depression a couple of years later but they certainly contributed to it. It also led to anti-Americanism at the time, for example in Cuba, whose economy collapsed, the legacy of which remains to this day. Boycotting and anti-Americanism could be repeated today. In high-income countries, the average tariff on manufactured goods is now just 1.8%. It stands at 5.5% in middle-income countries and 14.2% in low-income countries, so there is a clear correlation between wealth and low tariffs. As part of the EU, Ireland must do all of its negotiation with the EU. We must immediately engage with the EU regarding the huge threat US tariffs pose to the Irish economy.”
“We should all know the huge benefit international trade has been for Ireland. On a financial basis alone, of the €97 billion we take in in taxes, more than €50 billion is attributable to our multinationals by way of corporation tax, VAT and PAYE. This supports all the services that the State supplies, including health, social welfare and education. I often wonder whether this fact is lost on many people. I wish to raise three issues relating to international trade. I will first discuss lessons from history on tariffs, then what Ireland should do about tariffs and, finally, our future international trade strategy. History warns us against tariffs. They are a lose-lose approach to international trade. In the 1930s, the USA introduced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs. These resulted in an average tariff of 60% on imports.”
“This gets very little attention and needs to be discussed. All of the above relates to supply. The recommendations I have made can all contribute to increased supply. We will not solve the problem quickly, but we must turn the corner and see progress.”
“There are outdated census figures at a time of a housing shortage. My third point relates to affordable housing, which is a massive issue. The report rightly identifies the squeezed middle on page 146. These are the thousands who do not qualify for social housing and cannot afford a mortgage. We have not done nearly enough for them. We need to put much more emphasis on this group. There are good recommendations in the report around simplifying the process but we need to come up with more imaginative solutions, such as councils identifying land and zoning it for affordable housing, and working with builders to complete the project. Those in the squeezed middle are being squeezed financially but are also being squeezed by housing bodies, which often buy full estates, thus excluding all other buyers, and by councils buying one-off houses.”