The Vicious Cycle of Ireland's Housing Crisis

From a distance, the social crisis in Dublin reveals itself not as a random set of unfortunate events, but as a discernible and tragic pattern. For a long time, the roots of this anger have been dismissed or ignored, but as an outsider, I see a familiar cycle of social dysfunction. This isn't a uniquely Irish story,  it's a predictable human response to a system designed to fail.

The core of the problem is scarcity, a condition deliberately created by decades of negligence. While politicians celebrated a high GDP driven by foreign corporations, they presided over a profound and long-term underinvestment in their people and communities. Especially in underdeveloped parts of the city, this lack of resources created an environment where people feel forgotten and left behind. This feeling of being neglected by the state is a fertile ground for a simple, yet devastating, narrative: that there is not enough for everyone.

Into this manufactured vacuum of scarcity, immigrants arrived. The data is clear: immigrants are crucial to Ireland's economic growth and tax base, filling essential roles in critical sectors like healthcare that would otherwise collapse. Yet, in the absence of a proactive, responsible government, their arrival was not framed as an asset but as a threat. The logical outcome was a zero-sum game mentality, where a lack of housing and social services was blamed not on the system's failure, but on the presence of newcomers.The rise of far-right tendencies and the recent violent incidents are not irrational outbursts. The greatest tragedy is that the perpetrators were children and teenagers, a direct reflection of the broken environment they inhabit. As young people, not yet adults in the eyes of the law, their actions are a cry from a neglected community. The responsibility lies with the adults around them, but if the entire community has been abandoned and left to feel unheard, the ultimate responsibility rests with those in power.The true ignorance lies with the "educated" political class, who, with all their access to data and resources, should have seen this coming. They had the power to make long-term plans to prevent this exact outcome. Instead, they chose to ignore the clear warning signs, perpetuating an embedded classism that has always been the root of social strife.The consequences of this failure go far beyond economics. 

On top of the global stress of rising prices, the extraordinary lack of properties in Dublin is a crisis of a basic human need. This scarcity has a devastating effect on people's mental well-being, causing anxiety and a profound sense of instability. The government's new legislation, which allows for smaller, low-quality apartments, is a final, damning admission of this failure. It's a policy that guarantees that whole segments of society, especially families, will be forced to live in environments that lack dignity and essential communal spaces. The negative effects of poor housing on children's and teenagers' development are well-documented. A safe and nurturing environment with places to play, socialize, and learn is a fundamental requirement for a healthy childhood and a stable future. By not providing this, the government is not only failing the present generation but is actively shaping the psychological and social trajectory of future ones.  

The exorbitant amount of short-term lettings, which are cannibalizing the housing stock, is an utterly unnecessary and self-defeating strategy. The fact that these patterns are so visible and yet so unaddressed speaks volumes about the priorities of those in power. 

This activism is about calling out this system and demanding a new narrative for Dublin—one where housing is a right, where resources are for all, and where the mental health of its citizens is not sacrificed on the altar of political and economic expediency. The situation is already serious as it is, and I am seriously worried where this can lead, especially in the face of many other challenges that we face today. The global economy is in a challenging state, and we are also trying to figure out how to adapt to life with AI. There is a very high probability that AI will replace many jobs in the near future, which will especially affect the corporate sector because if they can save expenses on salaries, they will. We also have the climate crisis to deal with.