Serious concerns have been raised after Louth experienced the highest quarterly rent increase in Leinster in the last year of 4.3% and a year-on-year increase of 13.3%.

Sinn Féin Louth TD Gerry Adams said "average rents have soared to a new record high".

He continued: "In its snapshot of rents, Louth performs very badly in comparison with other counties. A single bedroom apartment now costs €700. This is an annual increase of 20.9%. A three-bed house costs an average of €977 a month. This is a 17.9% increase and this trend is sustained across all sizes of accommodation.

"Rents are rising while supply remains at an all-time low. There are only 3,084 properties available to rent today across the entire state.

"The introduction of rent pressure zones last December was supposed to restrain rents and limit annual increases. This lacklustre attempt at cooling the rental market is not working. It is creating a two-tier rental sector and struggling renters are caught in the middle. That is what the Government, with the support of Fianna Fáil, has delivered.

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"All the while, more than 91,000 families are on local authority housing lists. 4,875 adults and 2,546 children are in emergency accommodation and five families a day are losing their homes. Behind the statistics, there is real human suffering.

"The cross-party Dáil housing and homeless committee recommended the state provide 10,000 real social housing units annually. Last year, the Government delivered less than half of that. The cross-party Dáil housing and homeless committee recommended real rent certainty, linking rents to an index such as the Consumer Pay Index. The government rejected that also. The committee also recommended a moratorium on home repossessions. The Government ignored that also.

"If the Government is serious about tackling the housing and homeless crisis, it needs to provide for rent certainty."

Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster added: "The Government's indifference and lack of action is causing financial misery and uncertainty and it is compounding the homeless and housing crisis even further in Louth.

"The Government, to date, has repeatedly refused to include County Louth in the Rent Pressure Zone, despite the fact that this move would have no financial implications for the Government and have sat back and allowed rental costs to spiral out of control throughout County Louth and indeed many parts of the state."

(CD/JP)