‘Young people cannot afford to buy and are left paying rip-off rents’

The recently published Census Housing Report has elicited criticism of the Government’s housing policy and its tackling of the vacant homes problem.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, said that the latest Census Housing Report is a damning indictment of seven years of failed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.

Deputy Ó Broin said: “Today’s CSO 2022 Census housing report highlights some very worrying trends. Average rents have increased by 37 per cent since 2016, despite the existence of Rent Pressure Zones. The number of older renters has increased by a dramatic 83 per cent during the same period.

“Meanwhile new home ownership continues to fall while almost 50,000 homes were vacant from 2016 to 2022.

“These figures are a damning indictment of seven years of failed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.

“Despite two housing plans and three housing ministers, an even greater number of people are unable to access secure and affordable accommodation.

”Younger people cannot afford to buy and are left paying rip-off rents or forced to move back home with parents. A growing number of older people are trapped in a rental market that is expensive and insecure.

“All the while, 48,000 homes have been lying vacant for over seven years, despite all the government’s talk of tackling vacancies.

“These figures show what you get when Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are left in charge of housing.

“Clearly, the only way to tackle the housing crisis is to get these parties out of government and to have a Sinn Féin-led government with a new housing plan and new housing minister.”

For full access to all content on Echo.ie and to support the continuation of local news and local journalism in your community subscribe HERE.