Fianna Fáil is urgently calling for more 'affordable' student accommodation to be developed after figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed a rise in rents for 50 consecutive months.

Housing Spokesperson Barry Cowen TD said the increases are putting significant financial pressure on people who can't take any more.

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He said: "Students looking for a place to stay during term, people starting out in their careers on below-average salaries, and rent allowance recipients.

"Thousands upon thousands of people are being priced out of the market, especially in major urban areas.

"In the last few weeks, I've met people who are commuting from midland counties to Dublin or Galway because the rents being charged are just too high to justify paying.

"The housing challenge has been well documented over the past four years. We have an under-supply of housing stock, and an increasing demand."

(CD/LM)