Mr. John-Mark McCafferty:

Covid-19 has been an absolute game changer in all aspects of our lives, including housing. A couple of things are striking. In some ways we are surprised that there is less of an increase in availability than had been anticipated. In the short lettings, for example, there is some, but it is very modest. As there had been such a demand there that was unmet, with a relative softening in the market, there was a long way to go and a need for a great deal of capacity. We have seen moderation in rents. In the Cork city and county area, because we also have an access housing unit that sources and facilitates access to social rented housing and private rented housing, the situation is as challenging as it ever was.

In Dublin, there has definitely been a softening but not necessarily the kind of embarrassment of riches that one might assume with such a shock to a housing system.