Tipperary For Sale
Per figures recently published by the National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) based in NUI Maynooth since 2001, there are now no less than 33 “Ghost Housing Estates” vacant in Co.Tipperary. (17 in South Tipp – 16 in North Tipp)
During the period 2006-09, it appears that we have, as a nation, only now woken up to the fact that housing stock became completely devoid from any kind of realistic sensible projected planning and demand. This apparent oversight has now been further aggravated by a diminished market and an ever changing human population profile.
There were 217,101 housing units built in Ireland between April 2006 – Dec 2009. Based on 1996-2006 population growth there was a need for only about 85,446 units countrywide and we now have a potential oversupply of 131,665 units for which the lower paid working members of our Green Island are being asked indirectly to subsidise without ever getting our names on a Title Deed.
So How Did This Housing Surplus Happen?
A census here in Ireland takes place, usually, in every year that ends in a 1 or a 6 except when some national crisis rears its ugly head e.g. Famine, War or Foot and Mouth disease. ‘Census 2006’ took place on the night of Sunday, April 23, 2006. The preliminary results of the 2006 Census were published on 19 July 2006, that is three months following the actual Census Day.
The publication schedule for the Census 2006 reports can be downloaded here.
From these figures the Irish Government knew the population growth and household size for the period 1996-2006 from this 2006 Census and so they knew the number of household units that would have been required for the period 2006-09, if population growth followed this 06-09 trend.
Given this present government knew the number of house units built between April 2006 (date of the census) and 2009, for each county, they could therefore have calculated accurately the projected oversupply of units per county, based on these projected household growth and population figures.
If this data had been examined the following information would surely have been gleaned regarding Co.Tipperary.
Household growth 1996-2006 –5640.
Houses required 2006-2009 based on 1996-2006 growth figures – 2256.
Because of this apparent failure to examine this known collected data, by developers, bankers etc, we now find ourselves in the following position as we go forward.
Houses built in Tipperary County 2006- 2009 – 7211.
Over supply of Building Units –4955.
This situation now leaves Co.Tipperary with a percentage of housing over supplied, amounting to 439.6% and a problem which will haunt us for the next 10 years at least.
This is what happens when no one is ‘minding the shop’ and when greed and looting within our society is routine and allowed to go unrestrained by those we elect, entrust and enhance with large salaries and bonuses, to manage our affairs.
Have you been refused finance by your bank?
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