Rory Hearne

Dr Rory Hearne Leading academic and policy expert in housing policy, inequality and the Right to Housing. Rory completed his PhD on economic and social geography in Trinity College in 2009, he subsequently worked in social housing community regeneration in Dublin's inner city from 2007 to 2013, had roles as researcher and policy analyst in economic inequality and housing before becoming Assistant Professor in Social Policy, Maynooth University in 2018. He has been researching the area of housing, social housing and the right to housing for almost 20 years, authoring two books and contributing chapters to nine other books. His most recent book, 'Housing Shock: The Irish Housing Crisis and How to Solve It' (Policy Press, 2020) has been widely commended as a key work that provides solutions to the crisis. The President of Ireland invited Rory and his family to Aras An Uachtaran to present and discuss the book in recognition of its contribution to Irish society and public debate. Rory has also been writing regularly for the Irish Examiner on issues analysing housing from homelessness to Generation Rent and investor funds. He also coordinated the Uplift petition which gathered 40,000 signatures that were submitted to the Dail in October this year calling on the Government to restrict investor funds buying up homes, to build public homes, protect tenants and hold a referendum to insert the right to housing in the Constitution. Rory is also host of the Reboot Republic podcast which provides analysis and solutions to issues of inequality and housing. He is also author of the most viewed comment piece on Journal.ie and has appeared twice in one year on the Blindboy Podcast!