Ireland has an acute housing shortage, and a political class determined not to solve it. Politicians in Ireland are not controlled by big business, as is so often alleged, but by the people who can vote for them. That is people who live in their constituencies - and the people who have somewhere to live appear to be united in their opposition to any development in their area.
Because the original planning system was designed to give voters what they wanted, developments of our towns pushed outwards into greenfield sites, increasing commuting times, traffic, and air pollution.
The result is that too many of us now live in low-density suburban housing.