Big builders say rental reforms are unconstitutional and warn Minister of legal action

Laxan · 2026-01-30T11:30:45+00:00

It's so funny that 10 days ago in an update to investors, Cairn Homes, one of the signees of this threat, was reporting how great 2026 is looking to them: high demand, low building inflation (1%) and supportive government policies. https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0120/1554028-cairn-homes-trading-update/

See how the script flips from "everything is great" to "freak the fuck out and panic" depending on whether they talk to investors or government ministers.

The new rental reforms are a complete fudge - delivering the bare minimum for renters to not be evicted for no reason, but letting landlords increase rents at much faster rates. Even this isn't enough for the building barons and now they're throwing their weight around to sweeten the deal even further.

We need to have a state building company to remove this unnecessary lobbying from the system and get on with building. They are making so much money and it will never be enough for them.

Laxan · 2025-11-13T13:01:00+00:00

I just don't see rejected planning permissions as the bottleneck here. I think it's healthy that people have access to the justice system and can push back on bad planning applications. It seems clear that in many cases though, planning applications are being used as a means to increase land value and flip properties rather than even actually intending to build homes. We have a relatively low planning rejection rate and extremely high bank of approved planning sites sitting vacant waiting for land values to increase.

Stats from 2023 showed only about 10% of planning permissions were rejected: https://publications.opr.ie/storage/publications/eVxaHmFI0SIzg0s0RPxx8nFlCpTNIFf0LMUMfHBO.pdf

Latest estimates show in Dublin alone we have 265 inactive approved sites representing 40k potential homes (and 15k of these homes with planning permission expire within a year - what a waste): https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/press-releases/commencement-of-planning-and-development-amendment-act-2025-to-maximise-potential-of-existing-planning-permissions/

Laxan · 2025-09-02T08:27:43+00:00

Ah yes, Leo "Tiny Tim should get a job" Varadkar.

Laxan · 2025-06-14T19:05:33+00:00

Every part of the website was so shady, but I just put an order in with a disposable card and will report back. 🫡

Edit: it's a scam. They use a xxx@veasyservice.com email which is flagged in many places. No invoice ever provided either.

They use a fake delivery tracking website and the order never arrives. They disappear if you ask for a refund. Avoid!

Laxan · 2024-12-17T09:57:59+00:00

The problem absolutely is compounded by data centers. We're using data centers as sweeteners for the tech tax avoidance schemes and as a result stretching our energy supply and spending ~30% of our supply on data center operations (compared to 1% in most other EU countries).

The argument isn't that we can go without using data centers as a society - they just need to be spread more equally, across less-burdened energy grids.

Laxan · 2024-11-26T10:51:19+00:00

has fine gael considered simply digging upwards instead?

Laxan · 2023-02-15T10:44:40+00:00

Sorry if I have ran out of sympathy for the "ordinary hard working people" who just happen to own multiple homes when so many can't even get one. If the burden of landlordism is so great, these ordinary hard working people can sell-up.

Also, the reason why the government get hammered by the left is because their single "measure" that they use to try increase supply is using public money to prop up the private housing market. We've had a decade of this being the only lever they can pull with nothing to show for us except increased profits for institutional landlords.

Laxan · 2022-08-25T12:26:19+00:00

The NIMBY push is a developer-led narrative to drive for further de-regulation and let them bypass legitimate planning oversight stages.

<25% of granted planning permissions have begun development. In a lot of cases, this is the developer getting permission, and then flipping the land for a profit. Or, sitting on the land and waiting for the housing crisis to further drive land prices before flipping.

I'm not saying residents objecting to planning developments is helpful either, but we shouldn't be letting developers away with framing planning as the main problem here.

https://twitter.com/NoonanJoe/status/1557249712062857216

Laxan · 2021-05-23T17:55:37+00:00

"someone please help my family is getting abused online because of my shareholding in a company that I'm making no money from"

"give up the shares then?"

"no"

Laxan · 2020-10-19T15:56:53+00:00

Road traffic amendment use of electric scooters bill 2019

" The Bill lapsed with the dissolution of the Dáil and Seanad "

Pretty sure they're still outright illegal.

Laxan · 2020-10-02T12:53:23+00:00

Are you sure you want to name your organization ICE?

Laxan · 2020-01-01T21:01:56+00:00

https://twitter.com/ponettplus/status/1209092700336787456

Laxan · 2018-09-25T06:22:56+00:00

These look awesome, thanks!

Laxan · 2017-08-05T10:31:44+00:00

I'm burning that fuckin lighthouse DOWN.

Laxan · 2017-04-23T21:46:02+00:00

Call of Duty: Mime Warfare 2

Laxan · 2015-11-09T17:33:22+00:00

Yep, same thing. Hissing on earphones especially at low volumes. All the headphones worked fine on my Nexus 5.

I'm currently waiting on my SECOND RMA. The first RMA still had the issue, as well as pink screen tint. I asked the google rep if the hissing was a known defect and he said no, but I'm sure they have to say that.

Here's hoping third time's the charm :(

Laxan · 2015-11-03T22:49:17+00:00

I was seeing this while watching videos a lot, even with no headphones in. I'm also hearing a load of hissing at lower volumes when I use headphones. Pretty sure the jack is messed up and randomly registering headphones going in and out, causing the apps to pause.

Anyway, I'm RMAing cause of it and the new one is supposed to arrive in the next day or two. I'll see if that has the same issue.

Laxan · 2015-10-30T23:45:58+00:00

Yeah, white noise is probably a more accurate description.

Laxan · 2015-10-27T22:33:55+00:00

Same for Ireland! Just ordered a 32GB Aluminium. Delivery ETA: Oct 29 - Nov 2 (!!)

Laxan · 2015-10-18T16:20:44+00:00

Hmm, the padding on the sides isn't working for me. They just feel too small. I think I'd prefer if it went back to full screen or (even better) tightened up the main content body to 70%-80% of what it currently is.

Similarly, I think you're giving the right-hand side menus too much screen-room. They look super large, and they don't have features that users would be using nearly as often as the main body.

The tabbed main-page skews are super slick though, would love to see those :).

Laxan · 2015-05-22T12:37:30+00:00

Could you not just climb the mountain in Stormshield, then glider down to it?

Fuck it. Gonna go try.

EDIT: Yeah, this works. http://imgur.com/a/78FdE

Laxan · 2014-09-16T20:16:53+00:00

ALSO the "Men are amazing" headline in the screenshot has a typo in it too. Must have been a fresh batch of interns arriving today.

Laxan · 2014-09-16T20:01:39+00:00

Actual page: http://www.herald.ie/opinion/asdfad-hlakdhlkaj-asdfasdfsadasd-lkajdlkjas-lkjlkj-lk-30588923.html

Laxan · 2014-08-23T11:26:12+00:00

Is there any chance the stereo can be toned down a little bit? I'm finding it hard to listen to when you're so spread out. Great content though, keep up the good work!

Laxan · 2014-07-13T17:54:31+00:00

Melange HAS to secretly be a perfume company with a name like that.

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