Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will also deal with right to housing. I brought up the issue before of the affordable housing scheme in Cois Farraige in Blackrock, just outside Dundalk. I am expecting word back. First and foremost, €305,000 is not affordable for a huge number of people in the general Dundalk area. Only five of those who applied qualified when there were meant to be ten houses offered. Louth County Council will also say there is a definite issue with the criteria, so this needs to be looked at. I previously brought up the issue of rentals. I will read out what one of my constituents said to me.

She said this is outrageous. It is €5,000 a month for a four-bedroom house in Dundalk. She asked what our politicians and TDs are doing to stop this and how the younger generation will be able to stay in Ireland and have a home, whether buying or renting. She said that once these prices start hitting Dundalk, more landlords will be looking to possibly put people's rent up. She said we need laws and caps on rent to stop this. She currently has two adult children who are both working and cannot think about buying or renting in Ireland. She said it is disgraceful and nothing is being done, and that she hopes the local Sinn Féin TDs will move to stop this nonsense and give the next generation a chance.

Obviously Sinn Féin has our proposals to address just how dysfunctional the rental sector is and a three-year ban on rent increases to allow for supply to change the circumstances, because the market has failed people miserably, and insufficient action has been taken. Like this lady here, people are worried about the future for their children. Not enough has been done and something has to be done immediately. That is how bad things are.

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