Eurostat Report Reveals Alarming Rental Cost Burden and High levels of Insecurity for Tenants
- Government’s developer-led approach is not working and must be changed
Labour Leader and housing spokesperson Ivana Bacik TD, has criticised the Government for its failure to address the chronic supply shortage in housing, which has led to a massive increase in rents across the country. According to a recent report by Eurostat, the typical rents paid in Ireland rose by 100 per cent between 2010 and the third quarter of last year.
Deputy Bacik said
“The findings from the Eurostat report are shocking, but not surprising. They confirm what we have been saying for a long time: that this Government has patently failed to solve the housing crisis, and that its policies are only making things worse for renters. The findings underscore a troubling state of affairs in Ireland’s rental sector. Renters continue to face such a heavy cost burden, dedicating nearly one third of their income solely to paying rent. Worse still, the looming threat of insecurity persists for far too many. Renters deserve better than this.
“Labour has a vision for a fair and affordable rental sector, where renters have rights and security. Our Renters’ Rights Bill, which was introduced in 2021, would prevent the practice of ‘no fault’ evictions and would provide for greater security for renters. Our housing plans would also challenge the developer-led mindset of the current Government. Reliance upon private development will not fix our housing crisis, and this Government has to stop pretending that it will. We need a radical shift in housing policy, where the State takes the lead in building social and affordable homes, and where renters are protected from exploitation and profiteering.
“More than two years on, the Government’s Housing For All policy has clearly failed and the Fine Gael / Fianna Fáil policy of not increasing rental stock is backfiring dramatically. As the analysis shows, we need government to commit to increase a broader stock of supply that includes suitable cost rental accommodation.
“Current housing policy serves no one, not the young and not the old. The policies of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have eroded the social contract. Labour is calling on the Government to act now and implement our Renters’ Rights Bill and to adopt our housing plans, which would make a real difference for those who rent in Ireland.”