CSO Statistical Liaison Group on Housing
Wednesday 4th May 2022
Central Statistics Office Conference Room A (Oak Suite), Ardee Road, Dublin
Attendees:
Cormac Halpin (CSO)
Kieran Culhane (CSO)
Paul Morrin (CSO)
Brian Ring (CSO)
Sean O’Connor (CSO)
Eoghan McCarty (AIRO)
Owen Joyce (Department of Finance)
Anne Marie Griffin (Department of Housing)
Laura Flannelly (Department of Housing)
Martin Tully (Department of Housing)
Kevin Dillon (Department of Housing)
Eoin O’Mahony (Department of Taoiseach)
Annette Hughes (EY)
Roslyn Molloy (Housing Agency)
Shane Burke (Housing Agency)
Alice Long (RTB)
Edel Flannery (CSO)
Stephen Ryan (Irish Institutional Property)
Apologies
Justin Gleeson (AIRO)
Gerard Kennedy (Central Bank)
Conall MacCoille (Davy)
Colm Farrell (Department of Public Expenditure & Reform)
Daithi Downey (Dublin City Council)
Kieran McQuinn (ESRI)
Dermot O’Leary (Goodbody)
Karl Deeter (Mortgage Brokers)
Hugh Mangan (Ordnance Survey Ireland)
Lorcan Sirr (TUD)
Cain O’Callaghan (Trinity College)
Ronan Lyons (Trinity College)
John Fitzgerald (Trinity College)
Orla Hegarty (UCD)
Agenda:
Item 1: Welcome and Introduction – Paul Morrin, CSO
- Welcomed everyone to the meeting
Item 2: The Rental Sector in Ireland- Kieran Culhane, CSO
- Presentation on the recent frontier publication, The Rental Sector in Ireland 2021. Analysis was broken down into three main chapters focusing on rental properties, landlords and tenants. Presentation covered the background to the report, the data sources used and some key findings from the publication.
- Outline of the newly published Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Analysis by Local Electoral Area 2021 statistical release. This new report updates the number of HAP properties by geography using data up to the end of 2021 received from the HAP shared services centre and is planned to be an annual release.
- Discussion on further analysis planned by SSCU, including research on rental affordability and on vacancy indicators primarily based on electricity consumption data.
Questions/comments:
- Question on potential use of SEAI / BER data to add detail to electricity consumption data.
- Discussion on planed vacancy research.
- Suggested use of administrative data sources for analysis of outcomes of families in rented accommodation
Item 3: Characteristics of Residential Property Purchasers – Sean O’Connor, CSO
- Overview on recent CSO report Characteristics of Residential Property Purchasers 2010-2019.
- Discussion on the findings in the report, which includes the characteristics of sole / joint purchasers of dwellings
- Updates on future research and repeated publications, including the potential to include analysis on sellers, use of the Central Credit Register (CCR) to add detail of mortgage status of purchasers, panel analysis (Cohort approach) and providing income statistics for purchasers before and after purchase.
Questions/comments
- Clarification sought on whether there is further information on the makeup of buyers (e.g. relationship status and whether they are first time buyers).
- Ability to create an affordability index
- Ability to gather data on prospective buyers who could not buy and are still renting – link between those transitioning from renting to buying.
- Family dynamic timelines for those renting, ability to track/monitor those who are single to married and move onto forming a family.
- Query to examine the high proportion of market dwelling purchases still being made up by sole purchaser transactions, especially given market constraints.
- Potential for data be linked to RTB data to examine question of landlords selling.
Item 4: Housing statistics: The statistical requirements for good policy discussion and advice – Martin Tully, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH)
- Update given by the Statistics and Data Analytics Unit (SDAU) within DHLGH
- This included a presentation on the DHLGH Data Strategy (draft) and the requirement for a metadata registry
- An Overview was also given on SDAU outputs, current GIS Humanitarian Aid Data Management work, and future plans
Questions/comments
- Need to focus on standards based approach, ISO standard for metadata
- Agreement on the need to focus on structural foundations for data
Slides on DHLGH Data Strategy (PPT 2,151KB)
Item 5: Housing for All: Coordinating Data Flows – Eoin O’Mahony, Department of the Taoiseach
- Update of plans for Housing for All data group
- Detail on metrics and measures to monitor actions and strategies
Questions/comments
- Discussion on how more policy work needs to be placed on ensuring zoned land is the correct geographic locations and is then built on.
Slides on Housing for All: Coordinating Data Flows (PPT 1,566KB)
Item 6: Update from Census – Cormac Halpin, CSO
- General overview of developments of the upcoming release of the census and how it will tie into housing data.
- Relevant release dates in relation to housing stock and vacancy.
- Discussion on redrawing of boundaries.
- Greater emphasis on what constitutes vacancy.
- Update regarding increased integration of administrative data into Census 2022 which will facilitate the production of future publications and statistical releases
- There will be a new urban geography with the DHLGH and OSI which is still being worked on.
Questions/comments
- Discussion on integration of administrative data and geographical updates
Further Questions/comments:
