Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that the latest Daft.ie house price report shows that the government’s housing plan is not working.

The Q1 2024 report shows house prices rising by 5/8% in the year to March, with six counties experiencing inflation of over 10%.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest Daft.ie shows house prices continuing to spiral upwards. In the year to March, prices have jumped by 6.5%. Six counties have seen inflation of 10% or more.

“The report also details average house prices in the main cities including Dublin at €437,125 – up 3.2%, Cork at €347,409 – up 7.3%, Limerick at €274,427 – up 10.3%, Galway at €378,504 – up 9.4%, and Waterford at €247,064 – up 10.2%

“Worryingly, the report noted a reduction in the number of homes available to buy in March, down 24% on the same period last year and down 40% on the pre-Covid average listings in 2019.

“Whatever way you look at these figures they clearly show that the government’s housing plan is not working. Quarter after quarter, year after year, house prices continue to spiral upwards. The supply of second hand homes in contracting. The supply of new homes for sale on the market is not increasing, and the government is not delivering a meaningful supply of affordable homes to buy.

“The longer Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in office, the worse the housing crisis will get.

“In his first major speech as the new leader of Fine Gael, the incoming Taoiseach Simon Harris had nothing to say about housing.

“It wasn’t even listed in his priorities. What that means is that despite the change in Taoiseach next month, there will be no change in this government’s failing housing policy.

“What we need is a general election, a change of government and a housing plan that puts the delivery of tens of thousands of genuinely affordable homes at its core.”