Numbers on social housing lists 45% higher than thought: FF

New figures show the number of people on social housing lists nationwide is 45% higher than previously claimed.

Data obtained by Fianna Fáil shows a total of 130,000 people are on housing lists nationwide.

The figures were obtained under Freedom of Information requests to each county council.

They show the lists are 45% higher than the national figure published by the Department of the Environment.

Fianna Fáil says the figure of 89,000 cited by the Department of the Environment is two years old and that county councils have only now revealed the current situation.

Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen (pictured) said the previous figures had been misleading people about the depths of the housing crisis.

"The Government's figures are anything but up to date…The publication of these figures takes the cat out of the bag and lights up for everybody to see the huge and enormous scale of this issue," he said.