An 8.3% annual rise in rent across Ireland has sparked an urgent call for a rent freeze and further protections from eviction.

Labour representative Rebecca Moynihan expressed her concern at the new figures, highlighting how this is the highest rate of growth in rents since the end of 2017.

Senator Moynihan said: "Young and single people are bearing the brunt of this massive increase in the cost of living, while investors and speculators profit. Rents grew up 8.3% nationally with a massive jump of 12.7% outside of Dublin.

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"Ireland has become no country for young people, and despite many changes to the laws on rents, from this Minister and the last one all they have done is make small changes, always too little too late, without taking the deep imbalance between landlords and tenants.

"For years now the Labour Party has called for a broad suite of measures including a tax on vacant homes, a rent freeze, protection for deposits and restrictions the grounds for evictions.

"Dublin in particular is increasingly becoming a city for elites in society and it's closing its doors on the people that make this place great – our artists, storytellers and young people. It's also losing its heritage with so many of the next generation of Dubliner's being forced to the country because they simply cannot afford to rent in this city.

"We need to tackle the affordability crisis in Ireland, and change how we think about renting in this country."