Collison's Bombshell: The Political Betrayal Killing Ireland's Future

Stripe co-founder John Collison has delivered an exclusive, breaking analysis of Ireland’s crisis, revealing a shocking truth: a nation booming in population is failing to build the basics.

Since 1990, Ireland’s population has exploded from 3.5 million to 5.5 million—a growth rate faster than almost any other country in the EU. Yet, despite this massive boom, we now have the continent’s second-fewest homes per person. How can a nation with such talent and wealth be going backwards on the most fundamental necessities of life?

This isn’t a failure of money or ambition; it’s a political failure, and it directly impacts your family, your commute, and your future. We have forgotten the basics of running a country, and the consequences are devastating.

The Invisible Crisis Killing Your Quality of Life

The infrastructure crisis is not a distant problem; it’s happening now. Dublin’s water network is projected to hit its limits in just three years, a bottleneck that will stop housing construction dead in its tracks. Meanwhile, your household electricity prices are already the highest in Europe.

Think about the human cost. Grandchildren are forced to live hours from their grandparents. Students lose out on vital university life because they can’t afford to live near campus. Many of us are trapped in three-hour daily commutes. This stress frays the social fabric of the country, driving anger and political polarization.

The facts are stark and infuriating: Ireland has 41 percent fewer trains, roads, and transport infrastructure per capita than other high-income European countries. We have the lowest proportion of electrified rail in the entire EU. This is the price of forgetting how to build.

The Bureaucratic Logjam Revealed

The core of the problem, according to Collison, is a political system that has deliberately ceded control, creating a “government-by-agency” logjam. In a bombshell finding, he notes that since 2000, the State has created a staggering 303 new government agencies, quangos, or departments—compared to only 74 in the preceding 25 years.

This proliferation of agencies has reassigned power from elected politicians—who are accountable to you—to an unelected Civil Service. Collison argues that this “constrained power” is being conflated with good governance, allowing difficult trade-offs to be avoided and chronic problems to remain unfixed. Our politicians are on autopilot, and you are paying the price.

Naming the Agencies That Block Progress

The result is a system where a single-issue agency can veto a massive national infrastructure project. This combinatorial complexity creates an impenetrable web of bureaucracy.

Specific agencies are actively blocking progress across the country. An Taisce, for instance, has blocked the Galway ring road, the M3 motorway, and the critical Shannon LNG scheme. Officials at Fingal County Council have been throttling flights out of Dublin Airport, while Inland Fisheries Ireland has blocked essential flood remediation works. Even the Heritage Council is blocking the demolition of a wall for the N2 bypass.

These bodies, in the pursuit of their narrow goals, create a paralyzing logjam that prevents the common good from being served. You feel the injustice of this every day.

How to Seize Back Control and Build

Collison’s exclusive solution is a clear, actionable path to get Ireland moving again. It requires politicians to reverse the power drain and re-embrace their role as leaders who make difficult, necessary trade-offs.

To break the planning deadlock, he calls for a specialized fast-track court dedicated solely to planning judicial reviews. This would stop endless, costly delays. Furthermore, he proposes updated primary legislation for compulsory purchase orders and a higher land-value tax on zoned development land. This crucial economic lever would force land-hoarders to “use it or lose it,” unlocking desperately needed construction sites.

This is a political fight for the soul of the nation. It is a demand to stop managing decline and start building a future that matches our economic success. Do we continue to accept a system that puts bureaucratic process over the needs of 5.5 million people, or do we finally re-empower our leaders to build the Ireland we deserve?

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Original Source: The Irish Times

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