A TD has hit out at an advertising campaign by the Department of Housing offering advice for young people moving back in with their parents as “shocking,” describing it as “a message of surrender” by the Government.
“Moving back in with family after living out of home can take some time to get used to,” those featured in the government video, released this week, said. “It’s okay to need and ask for support.”
The video goes on to list a number of steps “that you can take to make the transition easier for you,” including sharing household duties and establishing boundaries when forced to return to the family home.
It has since drummed up criticism on social media, with Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn saying that the problem does not lie with the public but with the Government.
Speaking to Gript, Deputy O’Flynn said:
“The Department of Housing has released a video advising young people on how to move back in with their parents. I find this shocking. It shows how far Government thinking has collapsed. Instead of fixing the housing crisis, they are now normalising it.”
“No serious country tells its young adults that the best they can hope for is a return to the childhood bedroom. No responsible Government asks families to make peace with the idea that homeownership is out of reach. Yet that is exactly the message this video sends.”
The TD added that it is the case that right now, people earning €60,000 or €70,000 “still live in cramped box rooms because they cannot buy a home.”
“Parents across Ireland tell me they are angry. Their homes were never meant to absorb a generation locked out of the market. Their children are educated, employed, and ambitious. They are also stuck, with no meaningful path forward.
“This is not an accident. It is the result of failed policy. House prices have risen far faster than wages. The average cost of a new home in many counties has moved beyond €400,000. Planning delays remain chronic. Construction supply is restricted. The Government’s own agencies point to affordability as the central barrier for young working households. The data is clear. The problem is not the public. The problem is Government.
“Against that backdrop, a taxpayer-funded video on how to “move back in with your family” is insulting. It lowers expectations. It shifts responsibility away from Government and onto households already under pressure. It asks people to accept a national housing model that belongs to a failing state, not a modern republic,” the Cork Central TD added.
Calling for the video to be removed, Deputy O’Flynn added: “The Department should withdraw this content. It should stop patronising young workers and start delivering homes. Ireland needs supply, affordability, and a functioning pathway to ownership. Not lifestyle advice. Not distractions. Not a message of surrender.
“People deserve better than a Government that has run out of answers and now runs videos instead.”
A Department of Housing spokesperson told the Irish Times this morning that the video was not directly its campaign but was created by the Housing Agency and the NGO SpunOut, with “developed and funded the campaign.”
“This digital campaign was developed by young people, and is based on their experiences,” the spokesman told the newspaper.. “It has been deliberately created in a format and language that is engaging and age-appropriate and responds to key questions and issues young people have themselves raised – this is critical.”
In the video, those featured tell the audience:
“Sharing a home with family members as an adult is very different to doing so as a child. During yor time apart, you’ve probably all grown as people and developed different living needs and expectations. Talking openly with your family about everyone’s expectations when you first move back home can help prevent any conflict later on.”
It advises taking the time to set up house rules, including paying rent and doing housework.
“Communicate with your family. Moving home might be enjoyable at first but over time it’s possible you might have some conflicts. This is completely normal. If this happens, it’s important to discuss the issues with your family as soon as possible and work towards resolving it together.”
“Help out around the house,” it advises. “Not only will it lighten the workload for your family, but it will also help you feel more independent and encourage them to see and treat you as an adult.”
It adds: “You may have moved home to save money, or you’re finding it difficult finding a place to live.”
It encourages young people to speak with a friend, a relative or a counsellor if they are finding the situation difficult.
The video has been viewed over a quarter of a million times on platform X, generating a flurry of criticism.
TD Peadar Tóibín described the “guide on how to move back in with your parents” as “the culmination of the government’s policy.”
Meanwhile, Conor Sheehan TD said: “Whoever came up with this would want to give themselves a shake. Does the Minister honestly believe that young people need to hear this sort of condescending claptrap
“Here’s an idea. Build houses, stop turning the screw on young people and don’t put up their rent in March.”