Sinn Féin has hit out at the Government for "misleading the public" over the current housing crisis in Ireland.

Housing Spokesperson Dessie Ellis slammed Minister of State for Housing Paudie Coffey after he denied almost 130,000 families needed housing, claiming figures which were calculated in 2013 were more accurate.

Minister Coffey made the claims during an interview on RTÉ radio.

Deputy Ellis said: "I'm not remotely surprised that the government does not know the realities of the housing crisis, nor am I surprised that the Ministers responsible were misleading us with out of date figures, but it is an insult to the intelligence of the public that Minister Coffey would try to tell us two year old data is more reliable than new data from the same bodies.

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"This follows on from revelations earlier this year that the Department of Environment had encouraged staff to 'spin' claims by the government that they were dealing with the housing crisis.

"This attempt to mislead the public by Minister Coffey draws his suitability for the role into serious question. What is not in any doubt is that this government continue to fail to act to build social housing, tackle rising rents and prevent more families becoming homeless."

(CD)