Irish Council of Trade Unions: State must provide more affordable homes

There is an urgent need for the Government to take on a greater role in the provision of affordable homes, according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Congress was responding to new figures from the Central Statistics Office’s latest Residential Property Price Index that showed a 12.7% rise in residential property prices across the State in the year to March.

This compares to a 12.5% rise in the year to February and 11.8% in the year to January. Overall, prices have now risen by 75% since their recession low point — and by over 90% in Dublin.