Housing crisis deepens as annual house prices soar over 10%
Labour’s Senator Mark Wall in Kildare South has condemned Government failure following the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures showing a staggering annual house price increase of 10% nationwide, with an 8% rise in Kildare alone.
These statistics, published today, starkly highlight the Government’s failure to tackle Ireland’s housing crisis. Despite the much-fanfared “Housing for All” Government plan, more than three years on, homelessness is up, evictions are up, and house prices are soaring.
Senator Wall said:
“Today’s figures from the CSO are shocking but, sadly, unsurprising. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s handling of the housing crisis has been nothing short of disastrous. Government’s ‘Housing for All’ plan was supposed to offer solutions, but the reality is that things have only gotten worse. We now have over 14,486 people in emergency accommodation, including a devastating 4,419 children.
“Here in Kildare, house prices have jumped by 8%, making homeownership an unattainable dream for many. The Government has utterly thrown in the towel on housing, and today’s report confirms what we have been saying for years— Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are failing on secure and affordable housing.
“Report after report, statistic after statistic, everything points to the same conclusion: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have no plan. Homelessness figures continue to climb, rents remain sky-high, and now we see house prices spiralling out of control once again. This Government has chosen to sit on the sidelines while people suffer the consequences of their inaction.
“The Labour Party has long advocated for a greater role for the state in housing delivery. For years, Labour has put forward comprehensive solutions that could stem this tide of rising prices and growing homelessness, but Government have failed to act.
“The housing crisis is not inevitable. Labour has a clear, workable vision to address it. We are proposing an additional €1.45 billion in capital for housing delivery. Our plan is comprehensive: we will protect renters, we will end speculative land hoarding, and we will double the state’s delivery of cost rental and affordable housing. These measures are crucial to ensuring that every person in Ireland has access to a safe, secure, and affordable home.”