A newly elected Sinn Féin TD has used his first day in Leinster House to voice his no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

TD for Dublin Mid-West, Mark Ward joined his party colleagues, calling for a return to public housing delivered by councils and measures to deal with out of control rents.

Deputy Ward said: "The vast majority of families and workers have less money in their pockets than when Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil, came into government. This is despite the economic growth of recent years.

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"The cost of rents, childcare, going to the doctor, the insurance rip off – these are all things that are taking the last penny out of peoples' pockets and it is Sinn Féin that is putting forward real solutions to these issues.

"Significantly, the issue of Irish Unity and the need for a government that will begin to plan for this eventuality came up on the doors in this election with people seeing the potential to secure the economy and Ireland's future.

"These are the issues that the people sent me here to work on and these will be my priorities going forward."

(CM/JG)