Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will add to the list of topical issues for consideration by the Leader when setting the Order of Business in the future. I bring to colleagues' attention the fact that average rents have risen yet again for the third quarter in a row. In the past year in some parts of Dublin they have risen by over 10%. This represents a figure of over €1,000 a year for the average family. That is a serious issue when we consider that the number of properties available to rent has dropped significantly. This is not just a Dublin issue, as rents are also rising in Cork and Galway, although they are falling in Waterford, about which I am sure Senator David Cullinane is delighted. Nationally, they have risen by 2.7%. As the census of population indicates, there has been an annual increase of 20,000 in housing demand nationally. We are facing a significant shortage of housing in a very short period. I ask the Leader for a debate, first, on the broader issue of housing supply and, second, social housing. There are over 100,000 households on housing waiting lists. I also ask that the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, be asked to come to the House in advance of the negotiations on next year's budget to outline how she intends to deal with the issue of rent supplement. The cuts made last year have literally resulted in increased homelessness and I would like the House to have an opportunity to hear how the Minister intends to deal in the upcoming budget with the issues of low income households and their housing needs.