Sinn Féin has slammed Housing Minister Simon Coveney over his rent predictability measures.

The party's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD called on the Government to urgently reconsider its opposition to rent certainty and introduce legislation linking rents to an index such as the CPI.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "The Department of Housing reported to the Oireachtas Housing Committee on the Governments Rent Strategy. Much of the discussion was on the rent pressure zones and 4% annual rent increases.

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"Department figures confirmed that, for a family in Dublin, the cost of this measure over three years will be up to €3500. In Naas, the cost will be as much as €2500 over three years while in Cork City and County the cost will be from €2000 to €2500.

"How does Minister Coveney expect hard pressed renting families to come up with this extra rent? By the end of the three years, these families will be paying the equivalent of an extra months salary on rent.

"On the basis of the Departments own figures, the rent pressure zone policy is a failure. It does not protect struggling renters. Rather, it gives them the certainty that in three years time, they will be between €1000 and €2000 worse off a year every year."

(CD)