Top civil servant warned government against new interventions in housing market

Watt supported affordable housing, but cautioned state was already ‘meeting part of the costs of housing for too many households’, FoI documents show

Robert Watt, secretary general at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, said that he supported the development of affordable housing, but added that the state was already “meeting part of the costs of housing for too many households”

One of the state’s most senior civil servants warned against further interventions in the housing market before the new affordable housing scheme was announced in Budget 2021.

Documents released to the Business Post through Freedom of Information, show that Robert Watt, secretary general at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, said that he supported the development of affordable housing, but added that the state was already “meeting part of the costs of housing for ...