It was revealed earlier this week that Kildare rent prices had risen once again, with current levels now a massive 83 per cent higher than they were at their record low in 2011.
The average price of renting a house in the county has now hit an eye-watering €1,283 a month, which is €560 higher than they were in 2011 and 26% higher than their peak during the Celtic Tiger.
Along with the high rent prices, the report released by Daft.ie stated that there were just over 3,000 houses nationwide available for rent in the second quarter of this year, pushing demand far beyond the levels of supply available.
Kildare South TD Fiona O'Loughlin is blaming the government for the current housing crisis, stating; “The Fine Gael-led government continues to fail in addressing the housing crisis facing this country. In June, 9,874 people in Ireland were homeless and 2,637 people were living in hotels.
“Rental prices will continue to rise and homelessness will continue at its current, shameful levels unless urgent action is taken to increase our housing supply levels, including social housing. When the Dáil resumes, Minister Murphy will come under renewed pressure from myself and my colleagues in Fianna Fáil to stop talking about housing problems and actually do something to solve them. Those pictures of young children sleeping in a Garda station cannot be repeated in a country that claims to care about its young people.”
“The housing issue continues to be one of the most pressing problems facing my constituents in Kildare South. The government seems unable or unwilling to remedy the situation, leaving some families unable to find a home to rent, others unable to pay the inflated rents being charged and still more unable to find a home to buy. The situation is untenable and I will continue to push for housing reform when the Dáil reconvenes shortly”, Concluded O’Loughlin.
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