The Housing Minister is being urged to develop more social and affordable homes in Ireland.

Sinn Fein TD Emelda Meath made the call after figures revealed that rent prices are continuing to rise in Ireland.

She called on Minister Eoghan Murphy to take "real action" to improve the lives of people living in rented accommodation.

She said: "Drogheda was designated as a Rent Pressure Zone last September. In Rent Pressure Zones rent should not rise by more than 4% annually. Despite this, rent in County Louth increased by 11% in the past year.

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"Other towns and cities that have been designated as Rent Pressure Zones prior to Drogheda was have seen a large annual rise in rents, for example, rent in Galway rose by over 7%.

"This is an astonishing rise in rent levels, which is made all the worse by the government's attempts to spin this as a good news story.

"There continues to be a state-wide crisis in housing. The government continues to fail those who are currently paying high rents, paying extortionate top ups to HAP landlords, waiting on housing lists and those who are homeless.

"The only way to solve this crisis is through adequate provision of social and affordable housing."

(CD/MH)