Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has said that the government’s housing plan is driving a new wave of suburban sprawl.

The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments were made in response to a Banking and Payments Federation report, which highlighted that 40% of first-time buyers in Kildare, Wicklow and Meath and from Dublin.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest Banking and Payments Federation report has highlighted that 40% of first-time buyers in Kildare, Wicklow and Meath are from Dublin.

“This means that people who are currently living, working and sending their children to schools in Dublin but unable to afford a home in Dublin, are being pushed out to the commuter belt.

“Government has failed to deliver any affordable homes to rent or buy in Dublin City. Government policies are pushing up the cost of development, particularly in Dublin City centre. The result is too little development in Dublin and at prices that are way beyond the reach of the majority of working families.

“In turn, these families are being pushed out to buy homes in the commuter belt and in some cases further afield. The consequences are long commutes, increased travel costs and a huge strain on family life.

“This is completely contrary to the government-stated policy of compact growth within existing urban centres.

“It also has a distorting impact on housing prices in the Great Dublin Area, displacing locals from those areas further wet ward. This is driving house price inflation in the second hand market and creating a second circle of suburban sprawl.

“The government housing plan, and their failure to deliver a sufficient supply of genuinely affordable homes is driving this new wave of suburban sprawl. This will have impacts on families and communities for decades to come. It also contributed to the continued hollowing out of Dublin City, with impacts for communities, employers, and the social fabric of the capital.

“Until we have a government that prioritises the delivery of tens of thousands of genuinely affordable homes this problem will continue. Given that Fianna Fáil drove the last wave of suburban sprawl in the 1990s, it is no surprise that they are doing it again today. The only way to reverse this trend is to get Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out of government.”