As the Government continues to try to tackle Ireland’s housing crisis, why has the cost rental market failed to take off? Cost rental housing, which aims to offer long-term rents for tenants at prices at least 25% below market rates, was introduced in 2021 by then-Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien. The Irish approachIn contrast, Prof. Sirr noted that rents for Irish cost rental buildings fluctuate as they are “connected to market rents”. Prof. Sirr argued that this approach can be a problem as cost rental rents can increase to become “more expensive than a mortgage.” However, he doubted this housing stock would lead to more cost rental housing and said the Government should go “back to basics” if they wanted a working cost rental system.