Whatever you do, don’t call it “downsizing”. This seemingly harmless word is now part of the generational culture wars. Its very mention has listeners to radio shows picking up their phones and newspaper letter writers grabbing their iPads. It has, somehow, taken on resonance of people being “forced” out of their homes and marched off to a grim bungalow miles away or, worse, whisper it quietly, an apartment. So better to use “right sizing”, or even “age-friendly housing,” though even here it’s best to tread carefully.

The proposed setting up of a group of departmental officials to look at this issue might even come up with a few ideas. But it is part of a pattern of “quick fixes” being floated out by a Government grasping for short-term solutions to a long-term problem.

These follow two broad directions. One is the search for quick-wins – and so as well as helping older people who want to move to smaller homes (see how I avoided the “d” word there), we have had talk of “cracking down” on short-term rentals and easing planning rules on cabins in back gardens. Also run up the flagpole has been an end to the current rental cap regime, an old favourite from the Celtic Tiger playbook – tax breaks for builders – and the extension of the Help-To Buy scheme

The second group of ideas is the predictable institutional shuffle. This appeals to politicians as it gives the impression of doing something quickly. A new implementation group in the Department of Public Spending will try to line up energy, water supply and so on, (though there is gossip of a power struggle about how it operate).

[ Number of people in........

© The Irish Times