Ireland’s bank’s are in a mess, our economy on its knees, immigration has turn to emigration. All around us there are ten’s of thousands of empty houses for sale that nobody want’s. These empty houses are unproductive and loosing value every day, and will continue to loose value for some time.
In time our government will fully nationalise some of our already bad banks, and in doing so take ownership of the many empty houses on this island of ours from property developer’s as part payment from their mounting and unpayable debt.
Why not encourage the best and brightest from around the globe to stay and work on our island, anyone from sports athletes to business people, doctors to industrialist. Entice them to come and reside here by giving them free accommodation in these empty houses, subject to a means test and on an as needed basis.
Thousands of empty houses would become productive – earning an income. The state would also benefit with increase tax income and reduced liabilities.
Landlord’s need not fret, as these people wouldn’t come here anyway, without an enticement such as free accommodation.
The more productive the enticed are – the more they give the state, the more they should get in return, such as reduced priced or possibly free houses after a fix period of time, say five years.
We the citizens of Ireland wouldn’t loose, only gain as these houses are currently an increasing liability on the state. We would simply turn them from an unproductive liability into a productive asset. Turn emigration back into immigration, turn bad times into good.
Ken, I agree that all the unsold houses and half-built houses need to be put to use, as well as the land they stand on. Like you I hope an Irish government will one day have the guts to take them over for positive, popular use. However, who would want to give up their comfortable lifestyle elsewhere (you’re talking about successful doctors, sportspeople from abroad) and come and live in a cardboard box on the windy side of the Dublin mountains! Even retirees would, I suggest, prefer somewhere with slightly better weather. People with something serious to hide might come… Read more »