Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, has stood behind the airline’s choice to purchase 25 newly-built homes in Swords, close to Dublin airport, to rent them out to the airline’s cabin crew as accommodation. He stated that he does not view this as a significant issue and does not intend to apologise.
The airline has mentioned that the major hurdle in recruiting and training new staff is the area’s scarcity of reasonably priced rental accommodations. While the airline already provides housing for its staff in Citywest, no public transport is available to and from the airport during early or late hours.
According to Mr O’Leary, Ryanair must guarantee that its cabin crew can quickly and conveniently access the airport. Additionally, the company aims to ensure that its employees do not face any issues related to rent payments. The airline will purchase more properties if necessary, although Mr O’Leary does not believe it will be required.
He refuted the criticism that the airline’s house acquisition aggravated Ireland’s housing crisis. He stated that the government provided over 32,000 new homes last year and that adequate houses were obtainable for families wishing to purchase them.
However, some politicians and housing activists have condemned Ryanair’s move as a sign of the failure of the government’s housing plan. They said that large corporations should not have to enter the property market to house their workers, which would worsen the situation for ordinary people struggling to find a home.
