Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has accused the opposition of using the housing issue to simply “embarrass” the Government and described threats of a motion of no confidence in him as “pure politics” by Sinn Féin.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is under fire for prioritising his own political career ahead of solving the housing crisis.

The long-mooted Northern Ring Road to unlock the economic potential of Cork city’s northside is more crucial than the proposed €850m M20 motorway between Cork and Limerick, a planning expert has said.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and his department have defended moves to “lower” minimum standards for new apartments, despite widespread concerns being expressed.

It is not viable to build so-called affordable apartments due to the cost of construction, according to a report from the Department of Housing.

A semi-state body similar to Irish Water could be set up to deal with Ireland's housing crisis.

A homeless family of nine, the parents sometimes sleeping in their car after splitting up their seven children to stay from night to night with different relatives, have taken legal action to have their accommodation needs urgently addressed.

Rents still have the potential to rise by more than 25%, according to a housing expert.