Dáil row with unparliamentary language as Martin and McDonald clash over rents 

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government is engaging in a 'very special kind of sleeveen politics', a term which is deemed as unparliamentary

Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald. File picture: Maxwell’s

The Taoiseach has admitted that rents have been "too high for quite some time" as the latest report shows the highest rises on record.

The Daft.ie rental price report, for the first quarter of 2026, shows market rents rose sharply by 4.4% between December and March. This is the highest quarterly rise in a series dating back to 2002.

There were heated exchanges and sustained heckling in the Dáil, which forced the Ceann Comhairle to intervene, as Micheál Martin was strongly criticised over new rent rules that the opposition said have driven up prices.

Hitting out at the Government, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the measures as "a disaster" and said the Government is engaging in a "very special kind of sleeveen politics", a term which is deemed an unparliamentary.

However, Ms McDonald refused to retract her description, stating: "A sleeveen is a sleeveen. A rose by any other name, and a sleeveen by any other name. Shame on you."

She said: "The rent rule changes you announced last summer and introduced on the first of March are a disaster. What these massive rent hikes mean in real terms in Dublin, renting a two-bed apartment will cost you an eye-watering €30,000 a year.

"In Galway City, where rents have shot up by 18%, a two-bed will set you back €27,000 in rent a year. Is it any wonder that there is so much anger, so much despair amongst young families?"

The rent surge now puts the average market cost for a two-bedroom apartment in Ireland at over €2,100 a month.

It comes after data last week from the Residential Tenancies Board showed evictions in Ireland rose to their highest levels on record, ahead of the introduction of controversial new rental rules.

Under the Government’s new rules, which took effect in March, landlords can only increase rent by a maximum of 2% a year.

However, they can reset rent back to market rates if a tenant leaves voluntarily, a tenant breaks their obligations, and also after a six-year period has elapsed.

Addressing the Dáil, Mr Martin said: "First of all, rents have been too high for quite some time, long time, why? Because there's a shortage of supply.”

He added that in the midst of a housing crisis "all I see from the opposition, Sinn Fein in particular, is empty rhetoric, no solutions, the usual kind of sloganeering that won't build houses."

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Government should be "embarrassed" for "failing" renters.

"Taoiseach, at what point are you going to admit that Ireland is becoming a country that young people simply can’t afford to live in and will you to admit that your rent rules have been a disaster?"

Responding, Mr Martin accused the Social Democrats of coming up with housing policies that are "poorly fleshed out" and "sparce" which sparked heckling across the Chamber.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who raised high rents in the Dáil on Tuesday, also rounded on the Taoiseach, stating: "I hate to say, 'I told you so'."

The Taoiseach said the State has already put €9bn into housing this year and has taken a series of steps to increase supply, which ultimately will bring down rental prices.

"We are not interested in cheap slogans, we are interested in a proper analysis of both the housing market and what it will take to get the volume of supply into the future," Mr Martin said.