Niall Collins TD, Fianna Fáil spokesperson for Justice, has hit out at a "flawed" Government policy, which he said has resulted in a "dramatic upsurge" in home repossessions.

The comments by Mr Collins follow newly-released figures which revealed that almost 1,000 repossession orders were granted in the courts for the first six months of 2015.

The increase in home repossessions has also been accompanied by dramatic increases in rent in urban areas across Ireland, forcing families and young people out of their homes and, in some cases, into emergency accommodation, he said, while council housing lists are understood to have reached record highs in a number of counties.

In a statement, Deputy Collins said: "These latest figures are further confirmation that the Government's policy in relation to repossessions is seriously flawed.

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"The dramatic increase in repossessions is a direct result of legislation introduced by this Government in the form of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2013, which Fianna Fáil opposed in the Dáil and Seanad. This legislation ushered in a much easier mechanism to allow for repossession than had previously existed.

"Fine Gael's record in the area of housing is appalling. What we have witnessed over the past four years is a deliberate Government policy to reduce home ownership, drive up rents in urban areas, and provide minimal funding for social housing. This has served to improve the banks' balance sheets relating to mortgages and distressed loans.

"While this may have repaired the banks' balance sheets somewhat, it has left thousands of people without homes, with nowhere to rent and has led to spiralling housing lists, which will take years to bring under control."

He continued: "In Dublin alone, the housing list topped 21,000 in May of this year while the similar figure in Limerick was over 3,900. Meanwhile rents in Dublin have soared an unprecedented 30% in the past five years.

"The Government's rehashed housing policy will fail to reverse the massive problems which are a product of this flawed legislation. Fine Gael and Labour's record in this area is shameful and serves to prove that efforts to protect the family home are not a priority for this coalition."

(JP)