New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) highlight the significant impact of housing costs on deprivation levels in Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“Last year, three in 10 households (29.5 per cent) regarded housing costs as a heavy financial burden. However, this increased to more than 41 per cent for people in rental accommodation.
“Of the households living in enforced deprivation, seven in 10 (69.4 per cent) found housing costs to be a financial burden, compared with two in 10 (22.1 per cent) not experiencing deprivation.
“Shamefully, at a time when the country is awash with multi-billion-euro surpluses, the rate of deprivation in single parent families increased by five percentage points to 46.3 per cent.
“These figures once again highlight the impact that outrageous rents and exorbitant house prices are having on poverty levels and living standards – all due to disastrous, failed policies by successive governments.
“This government has accepted that its own housing plan is not working. However, instead of changing course, it wants to double down on failure. When will it accept that relentless increases of already sky-high house prices and rents cannot continue?
“Instead of eradicating Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) later this year, the government must retain them – at least until alternative protections are put in place for renters.
“Additional resources must also be provided to the Residential Tenancies Board for enforcement so breaches of RPZ legislation are prosecuted.
“The last government failed to meet its own social and affordable housing targets every single year of its term of office. We must now see the accelerated delivery of affordable, social and cost rental housing.
“As part of this, much more must be done to get vacant homes back into use. The immediate introduction of a 10 per cent vacancy tax, on par with house price inflation, is key to tackling this scourge.
“In addition, the government must adequately fund local authorities and not-for-profit housing bodies – particularly with early-stage finance – to increase the scale and pace of delivery of genuinely affordable homes.”
March 12, 2025