Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to invest in building social housing in Dublin.

Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD said not enough housing is being built to meet the demand and the rate of construction is slowing down.

Deputy Ellis said: "In Dublin just over 2000 homes have been built so far in 2015 while the Housing Agency projects that we will need to build a minimum of 8000 homes a year in the capital to meet demand.

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"The number of social housing units being built is even more alarming with government plans for just 1750 by the end of 2017 across the state and just 168 in Dublin in that time.

"This slow down of private construction and the practical non-existence social housing construction will only lead to continuation of the rent increases we have seen in recent years. The states rents have gone up 35% since 2011. This will lead to more deprivation, more hardship and ultimately more families becoming homeless and staying homeless."

(CD/LM)