Taoiseach insists Government has treated housing crisis as an emergency

Micheál Martin also hit out at Sinn Féin for complaining about the lack of supply while repeatedly opposing schemes aimed at delivering cost-effective homes

The latest Daft.ie report found a 14% rise in rents across the country.

The Taoiseach has insisted the housing crisis is an emergency and has always been seen as an emergency by the Government.

Speaking during sharp exchanges on housing at Leaders’ Questions, Micheál Martin hit out at Sinn Féin for complaining about the lack of supply while repeatedly opposing schemes aimed at delivering cost-effective homes.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald sought again to hone in on comments made by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien last week where he seemed to not accept the current situation is an emergency.

Referring to the latest Daft.ie report which reported a 14% rise in rents across the country, Ms McDonald said the figures reflect the Government’s “grim record” on housing.

She said the average rent is now €1,600 a month with that figure rising to €1,700 in Cork City and more than €2,200 in Dublin.

She said such numbers are “just off the wall”.

Ms McDonald said Mr O’Brien is “painfully out of his depth” and she also hit out at comments made by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that young people will not find cheaper rents abroad.

Ms McDonald also referred to weekend reports that there is a confirmed €500m underspend in housing this year at a time of emergency and called for a three-year rent ban.

She told the Dáil that there will be just 500 cost rental homes delivered this year.

Mr Martin responded by hitting out at Sinn Féin’s opposition to the Housing for All Plan and major individual projects such as Clonliffe Road in Dublin in Ms McDonald’s constituency.

“The fact is that it is a social emergency, that this is a housing crisis that cannot and will not be solved by one department. The point being, that we have treated this issue as an emergency,” he said.

The Taoiseach said Sinn Féin’s “deeply cynical” opposition to such projects and to the Housing For All Plan cannot be squared with its rhetoric in the Dáil about housing being an emergency.

On the specific issue of the rent ban, Mr Martin said the Government has limited increases to 2% in rent pressure zones