Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The housing crisis is crippling my generation. Thanks to the Government's policies, the possibility of owning a home or renting an affordable apartment has become a pipe dream rather than a legitimate aspiration. Young people in Galway, like those in most other counties in Ireland, are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The figures do not lie. According to research published by The Times, Ireland edition, the number of Airbnb listings in Galway is 1,574. This compares with the number of rentals available on daft.ie, which stands at just 44. Rents in Galway city and county have increased by 14% and 18%, respectively. It now costs €1,585 per month, on average, to rent a home in Galway city. The average house price in Galway is €335,000, with house prices having increased by 21%.

See this speech in context