Rory Hearne

Rory Hearne (born ) is an Irish Social Democrats politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency since the 2024 general election. He was previously an academic known for his work on the Irish housing crisis.

Education and career He attended Trinity College Dublin where he earned a first class honours degree in Geography in 2000 and subsequently a Ph.D. in 2009. While at Trinity he was elected president of Trinity College Dublin Students' Union. He also served as the vice-president of the Union of Students in Ireland. As of 2024 he worked as associate professor in social policy at Maynooth University.

Hearne has publicly criticised the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties who led every government during his career. Hearne has been cited as an authority on the housing crisis by The New York Times. His book on the housing crisis, Gaffs was released in 2022 and became a bestseller. He spent three months as a member of the Labour Party before resigning in 2011 in protest at their decision to form a governing coalition with Fine Gael as the Government of the 31st Dáil. where he secured 15,023 (2.2%) first preference votes and was eliminated after the 12th count. Hearne received media attention during the campaign for his criticism of Ciaran Mullooly of Independent Ireland (who went on to win a seat) for what Hearne saw as Mullooly's scapegoating of migrants rather than focusing on the causes of the housing crisis. At the 2024 general election, Hearne was elected for the Dublin North-West constituency, where retiring party leader party leader Róisín Shortall had held a seat since 1992.

Hearne is a critic of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's housing policies, which he describes as a form of "social vandalism". Hearne advocates for housing policy that prioritises the needs of vulnerable groups, including young people, renters, and those facing homelessness. He has been particularly critical of investor funds and property developers, whom he believes have exacerbated the housing shortage. Hearne advocates for a state-led approach to housing development, proposing the establishment of a state developer to build homes rather than relying on the Land Development Agency, which he criticises as being "NAMA 2.0".

In addition to housing, Hearne is concerned with broader social issues, such as climate change, workers' rights, and the rise of the far right. He opposes anti-immigrant rhetoric and believes the Irish government, alongside other political parties, has failed to adequately address these concerns.