Expert takes on the pros and cons of asking children who might be saving for a mortgage to pay rent
Irish people are living in their childhood home until they’re 28, on average, compared to an EU average of 26. Photo: Getty
Once upon a time in rural Ireland, young people didn’t exactly fly the nest – they were pushed out at 17 or 18 to go to the big city for college or enter the workforce. Hatchlings didn’t darken the door again until it was time to drop off a month’s worth of laundry, raid their parents’ fridge, or beg for beer money.
But the housing emergency called a halt to that traditional milestone. Bedsits – that bleak but affordable escape valve for young adults craving independence – were banned and even a room in a modest Dublin house-share can now cost €1,000 a month.