The shortage of housing in Ireland, which has been described as a "humanitarian crisis", is having a negative effect on citizens throughout the state, according to Sinn Féin.

Mr Peadar Tóibín TD said hundreds of thousands of families are either seeking accommodation or are caught up in the accommodation hyperinflation.

He said: "Without a home there is little of family life that works. Education suffers, physical and mental health suffers. Families in emergency accommodation suffer from reduced nutrition and it becomes harder to hold down paid employment.

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"However the housing crisis is also a significant threat to the economy. Insufficient housing supply restricts labour market mobility and pushes up wage inflation as families struggle to cover rental and mortgage costs. The cost of the home is an increasing proportion of a workers cost of living and is having increasing influence over their income and spending choices. A dangerously dysfunctional housing market acts as a threat to mobile Foreign Direct Investment and indigenous enterprise.

"This government's laissez faire housing policy is hurting families in the here and now but it is also having an effect on the ability of the economy to be competitive and to ensure that we can attract jobs in the future."

(CD)