LARGE demonstrations have taken place outside the Dáil Éireann over Ireland’s escalating housing crisis.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions organised the “Raise the Roof” protest to coincide with a parliamentary debate on the issue.
The union labelled the crisis “the greatest political failure of our time”.
Ethel Buckley, deputy general secretary of SIPTU, stated: “Workers are being priced out of home ownership and can only access housing by taking on unsustainable financial burdens.”
She went on to add: “This has serious consequences, not just on a personal level, but across society. We’re seeing vital jobs go unfilled and more young people emigrating.”
“What’s urgently needed is a complete overhaul and long-term strategy to provide secure, affordable housing.”
Ireland’s housing crisis has forced the government to navigate the wide gap in priorities between renters, landlords and property developers.
Homeownership is simply out of reach for many young people due to high demand and low supply.
According to recent data from property site Daft, average monthly rent has now surpassed €2,000 nationwide.
In response, the government has tried to introduce policies that both limit rent hikes and encourage construction by developers and investors.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated that the government aims to considerably boost construction to meet national demand.
However, Sinn Féin has repeatedly criticised the government for not taking enough action to resolve the crisis.
The opposition described the situation as a severe emergency prior to the protest.
Eoin Ó Broin TD, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson, said: “We’re calling for measures that genuinely protect renters, not the weakening of rent pressure zones that we’ve seen so far, but a total freeze on rent increases and concrete support to bring costs down.”
Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) are areas where rent increases are legally limited to shield tenants from sharp price hikes.
The Raise the Roof campaign has widespread public support, but it remains uncertain whether this will alleviate Ireland’s housing woes any time soon.