Housing rights in Ireland.

Abstract

Ireland has been the world leader in house price inflation since 1996, and has reached the highest level of home ownership among the OECD countries.1 Irish government housing policy has given the market a primary role in the production and allocation of new housing. Yet, Ireland has ratified a number of international instruments and Covenants which guarantee rights to housing. There are some important dichotomies in Irish housing law and policy, which result in groups of people who are excluded from the housing market being unable to draw on the benefits of these international human rights standards and norms. Indeed, rights-based approaches are largely absent in housing at all levels, and instead discretion, partnership and consultation appear to be displacing what little language of rights which still exists. Some NGOs are trying to place housing rights on the political agenda, but there is a steep hill to climb in creating awareness of the extent and nature of rights to housing, as well as creating a coherent social movement to advance this approach.