A call has been issued to Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to introduce an immediate rent freeze and refundable, one-month tax credit for renters to help tackle the nationwide housing crisis.

Sinn Féin representative for Louth, Gerry Adams spoke out in the Dáil yesterday 02 July, following the creation of 19 new rent pressure zones earlier this week.

The zones, called "insufficient" by Teachta Adams, are spread over 11 counties including Louth.

-- Advertisement --

Adams said: "The decision to include all of County Louth in a Rent Pressure Zone, gives little protection to those struggling to find accommodation, or to tenants trying to hold on to their home.

"Rent Pressure Zones in isolation are not the answer in Louth, nor anywhere else. The first quarterly Daft.ie rent report for 2019 shows that every county recorded rent increases above the Rent Pressure Zone cap of 4%."

He continued: "The Minister is failing to protect renters who need rent certainty. There clearly needs to be an increase in the supply of real social housing units. 

"But immediate action by the Minister should include a rent freeze and a refundable, one-month tax credit for renters to help ease the burden on families. We also need to see the urgent roll out of affordable cost rental schemes."

(CM/JG)