Introduction
Ireland’s housing policies are typically presented as designed to supplement market forces
and deliver decent housing for all. In fact for some members of society housing is denied
and for others, provision is highly compromised. The most drastic denial is evident amongst
people who are homeless and within the Traveller community, but other failures are not hard
to find, such as substandard accommodation for numerous households in the private rented
sector, overcrowding, vulnerability, poor-quality living environments and long waiting lists for
social housing.