Sinn Féin has hit out at Housing Minister Simon Coveney over plans to permit landlords to increase rent prices by 4% every year for the next three years.

Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Maurice Quinlivan TD said the proposals will do nothing for struggling renters in Limerick.

Deputy Quinlivan said: "The measures announced will do nothing to assist a family renting an average home in Limerick for €1,200 per month, or single people who are struggling to pay exceptionally high rents on one and two bedroom flats in Limerick.

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"Low and middle income families and single people simply do not have this money. They cannot afford further rent increases.

"The fact of the matter is that for those living outside the so called 'rent pressure zones' rents will continue to rise.

"The latest quarterly rental report for Daft.ie showed that tenants in Limerick City faced an average annual rent increase of 13.2% which is higher than in Dublin at 10.9%.

"The onus is now on Fianna Fáil to support a cross party amendment and do what Minister Coveney and his colleagues in Cabinet are not willing to do, namely to give struggling renters a break."

(CD/MH)