Sinn Féin has hit out at the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources after most of his colleagues failed to turn up for a debate to introduce rent certainty in Ireland.

The government recently voted down Sinn Féin legalisation on the issue of rent certainty and the prevention of homelessness.

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD raised the matter with Minister Alex White at Leaders' Questions.

Deputy McDonald said: "A new survey from Co-operative Housing Ireland tells us that 32% of tenants are living in fear of losing their homes. In Dublin 50% of tenants are fearful of becoming homeless. The only meaningful solution that will allay this fear is to link market rents to the Consumer Price Index – in other words rent certainty

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"These families are being made homeless because of the government's failure to introduce rent certainty. Minister it's not acceptable for you to stand here and say to families that their predicament is not acceptable, when you have a hand in creating their misery.

"You're in government now almost five years and your record in terms of social housing build is actually pathetic and I'm shocked at the fact that repeatedly you stand here and sound out that message as though you had revolutionised social housing provision – far from it."

(CD/JP)