Cork entrepreneur Michael O’Flynn, Chairman and CEO of the Flynn Group, reflects on Ireland’s housing crisis and what needs to be done to fix it.

O’Flynn, who has been in the property business for 47 years, spoke to Bobby Kerr on a recent episode of the Life and Leadership podcast and expressed that the current situation is a result of long-term underdevelopment:

“We should look back, we created the crisis. We stopped development during the financial crash. We’ve been undersupplying for years. The cost base is too high, and the banks are under serious constraint.”

Speaking from his Ballincollig offices, he was shocked at the challenges facing ordinary young buyers today.

“I can’t understand today, people trying to buy houses. When I sold houses, a normal couple could buy a house. Now we’ve created a situation where that can’t happen.”

O’Flynn criticised the slow pace of government response and red tape that slows building projects:

“I am very concerned about the lack of speed in dealing with these housing issues in Ireland. Not enough is being done quickly."

Photo: RollingNews.ie

“Make sure you service land that’s going to be built on.  I believe these issues could be solved quickly but there's no mechanisms to do that.”

O’Flynn emphasised that Ireland needs to treat housing with the urgency it deserves:

“We need to treat housing as an emergency - somewhat like we did in Covid.”

With decades of experience navigating Ireland’s toughest property eras, including the Nama years, O’Flynn believes the solution requires decisive action, financial discipline, and practical support for development.

“The reality is, we have a fantastic education system in this country. We need to keep our people here."