One of Ireland’s smallest museums opened recently in Dublin. It pays tribute to the era of tenements. A time in Ireland when whole families lived in one room and life was compared to that in Calcutta.
Although we are not in nearly as much poverty as our ancestors, we are living our own generation’s housing crisis. Like life in the 1930’s, houses are being filled to double their capacity, with people desperate for somewhere to sleep. History may be repeating itself. However, attitudes in society have changed. A fact very much evident in Ireland in recent years.
Unlike the 1930’s, where the Irish people disregarded their unhappiness with social injustices such as housing, instead turning to the church, the Ireland of 2018 is more vocal on social issues, from protesting the current state of homelessness to the arrival of the Pope.
The government increased spending on public housing post World War 2, during a period of low market supply. This was a time when governments the world over turned inward and took greater control of state affairs- in turn, leading to a growth in employment.
What remedied the early 1900’s economic crash in Ireland was Keynesian economics, which saw the government manage the market and public spending in order to maintain high employment. This ideology prioritised market stability over the neo-liberal ideas of market competition, deregulation and individualism.
Keynesian economics gave way to neoliberalism in Ireland in the 1970’s. Public housing was sold to private buyers, never to be replaced, while private entities failed to build enough housing to meet soaring demands.
Ireland’s youth are now demanding change and a return to some of the socialist ideas of the post-war era.
Image courtesy of Admanchester at Flickr