The Government should consider copying Ryanair and buy houses for frontline workers, a Dublin councillor has said. 

Yesterday, the budget airline announced it had bought 25 newly built homes close to Dublin Airport and would rent them out to staff at an “affordable” rate.

Ryanair said the capital’s housing crisis had become a “major impediment” to its recruitment targets.

Speaking to Lunchtime Live, Labour Councillor for Swords James Humphreys said the local community had been “surprised” when Ryanair announced it had bought the homes.

“On balance, [people reacted] positively because it wasn’t going to be an investment firm,” he said.

“It was a company that an awful lot of people in Swords actually work for and that know the pressures that they face… hiring people.

“Outside that area, people were just generally angry because they’d just seen more housing units being bought by companies or investment firms and not being put on the market for families that are on waiting lists looking to buy in the area.

“It’s very much a mixed kind of bag.”

A housing estate in Donegal Town, County Donegal, Ireland

In recent years, principals in the capital have said the housing crisis is making it difficult for them to hire staff, as many young staff feel it is difficult to find affordable accommodation close to their work.

Cllr Humphreys said the country’s housing market was “in a crisis” and the Government should at least consider the possibility.

“I’d love [if] the Government followed suit,” he said.

“We have problems hiring teachers in Dublin, we have problems hiring Gardaí [and] nurses.

“One of the big problems is the cost of rent.”

Cllr Humphreys also said the idea of employers renting housing to their staff is not without precedent.

“There has been a long history in Dublin, when you look back to the Iveagh Trust, to the Guinnesses, to the Irish Glass Bottle House, companies and semi-State having housing schemes to support staff,” he said.

“Would it be my preference?

“No, but we are in a crisis and the housing crisis is affecting employment [and companies’ ability to] attract staff into the city.”

Last year, 32,695 were built in Ireland - easily exceeding the Government’s target of 29,000.

At the same time, there were 13,318 people living in emergency accommodation last month - close to the all time record high.

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Main image: A general view of construction work in Ballymun.