Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, has acknowledged that rising immigration is contributing to the country’s mounting housing shortage—a sharper admission than previous government statements.
Speaking in Dublin at the launch of a new infrastructure delivery plan, Harris warned that Ireland risks damaging “social cohesion” if it fails to build enough homes and essential services. While stressing that he was not endorsing anti-immigration arguments, he said it was “not an unfair point” to note a clear correlation between a growing population, increased inward migration and a constrained housing supply.
Harris said the deeper problem was the disconnect between Ireland’s strong economic performance and the state’s inability to deliver infrastructure such as water, wastewater, and energy systems. Many citizens, he said, were still struggling to access basic services despite the country’s ability to run expansionary budgets.
He argued that centrist parties must accelerate delivery to retain public trust.
His remarks contrast with Housing Minister James Browne, who said in October that migration played only a “small part” in Ireland’s housing crisis.
