Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has called on government to increase and accelerate the delivery of public homes to meet social and affordable need. 

His renewed call comes as the Q4 2022 Daft.ie rent report shows new rents spiralling upwards to new historic highs.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest Daft.ie rent report makes for depressing but not surprising reading. New rents increased by 13.7% across the state in 2022. The average rent statewide is now €1733.

“In Dublin City, the situation is even worse with rents spiralling upwards by almost €15% and average new rents at €2293 per month by the end of last year.

“All but one county experienced double-digit rental inflation last year with most counties in the high teens.

“The private developer sector is simply unable to deliver the volume of homes to rent or buy at prices that working people can afford. 

“The only solution is for government to dramatically increase and accelerate the delivery of public homes to meet social, affordable rental and affordable purchase need.

“Government must revise their housing plan targets to deliver at least 20,000 new public homes a year, including at least 8,000 affordable homes.

“Chasing the ever growing viability gap for new private rental homes will simply fuel property price inflation. 

“We need government intervention on a scale proportional to the crisis itself.”