Thousands of 30-somethings living with parents due to property prices

TENS of thousands of people in their 30s still live with their parents because they cannot afford to buy a house and the number is growing.

Many young couples are also forced into substandard accommodation, unable to get on the property ladder, according to Fine Gael’s Environment spokesman Fergus O’Dowd.

“Throughout the country, young couples are paying high rents in far from luxurious accommodation, unable to save for a deposit and with little hope of ever owning a house,” he said, responding to the latest ESRI survey which shows that Irish house price growth for 2005 looks set to exceed that of 2004.