Rent prices in Galway have increased by 10.9% in the past year, according to Sinn Fein.

The party said the price of rent is forcing people to move out of the city and have resulted in many becoming homeless.

Sinn Féin Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh said the rising costs of rents is "unsustainable" and are pushing more people into homeless accommodation.

He said: "Rent Certainty would have put a break on rising rents. In fact, if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had supported our Rent Certainty Bill back in June, hard pressed renters could have saved up €2,000 per year.

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"Fine Gael opposed it again in this very chamber a couple of months ago, again aided and abetted by their partners in government Fianna Fáil.

"The Tyrrelstown amendment, a proposal to strengthen tenant's rights in developments of more than 20 units is weak. The measure only covers 0.56% of landlords and a tiny percentage of rental tenants. The overwhelming majority of those living in the private rented sector will not benefit from this change. This means that those families at risk of homelessness because of buy-to-let properties being repossessed by the banks will continue to be at risk of homelessness.

"To fix a broken housing sector we need to be bold. Increasing the supply of Housing by tampering with the planning system and ‘enhancing the functioning of the private rented sector’, by providing a solution for 0.56% of landlords and an even smaller amount of tenants, will not do the trick."

(CD)