Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD has said new figures showing the level of housing needed in Dublin reveals how the housing crisis is "only getting worse".

According to Deputy Ellis, recent figures show 42,000 people are in housing need, including 16,500 children.

Mr Ellis stated the Irish Government has 'completely failed to tackle the problems at his heart'.

He said: "Over the past four years only a small number of homes have been built by the council due to severe cuts to funding under this government. The council will only build an additional 167 homes before 2018 despite the unprecedented need in the city. They are simply not being funded to provide housing by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition."

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Deputy Ellis added rents have increased in the city by 'over 34%' since the most recent government took office, while the number of places available for rent is at an 'all-time low'.

He continued: "We also have thousands of people in emergency accommodation along with over 1000 children. The government aren’t even adequately funding homeless services with the council looking at a shortfall of 18.5 million euro for 2015.

"The government have failed to build homes that are desperately needed, their strategy at present only includes 167 homes to be built by 2018. They have also failed to act on promises for rent certainty which now is unlikely to happen before the general election.

Deputy Ellis continued: "We need to invest in building homes to tackle this need, the private market cannot and will not meet this demand for affordable homes.

"We also need to tackle rents with a system of regulations which will ensure a fair price and limit increases in the future."

(LM)