Regulation always seems harmless and free—until it’s passed. In 1995 and 2007, Ireland introduced minimum regulatory standards for new houses and apartments. The result: Ireland now has some of the highest standards for new homes in the world. ✨Yay✨ right? Except Ireland is now the second most expensive place to build homes in the EU. The country is 230,000 homes short, and they’re not being built anywhere near fast enough. We’re in a full-blown housing crisis. This is terrible for young people (staying with parents into their late 20s, living in overcrowded houses, or emigrating), for those looking to start families, and especially those on lower incomes. These regulations would rather you struggle than dare live in a home without a balcony. (Not a joke.) The stickiness of these “nice-sounding” regulations makes them nearly impossible to unwind. No politician wants to be the one who “drove down the housing standards.” After all, “Ireland is the best in the world at it,” right? (Above taken from excellent article by @o_mcpartlin, link in next tweet)