Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald TD, has said that Eurostat figures highlight how bad government policies have let down renters and would-be house buyers.

Irish housing costs including rent, house prices and utility costs are the highest in the European Union.

Ms McDonald said that many people are "losing hope of ever owning their own homes" as house prices spiral out of control and they struggle to put deposits together.

In a statement Teachta McDonald said:

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"Rents in Ireland have doubled since 2010 and housing costs in Ireland are now the highest in the EU. This is a damning indictment of government.

"Fine Gael have been in government for most of this period, and Fianna Fáil have been propping them up for seven years.

"The housing crisis continues to go from bad to worse on their watch; with rents at an all-time high and rising, and the government missing their social and affordable housing

"Only Sinn Féin has a plan to tackle the housing crisis and stand up for renters by putting a full month’s rent back in every private renter’s pocket and increasing the supply of affordable properties to rent and buy.

"It is clear that only a change of government and a clear change of housing policy will allow us to start cleaning up the mess of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies that have resulted in Ireland seeing rents increases that are over four times the EU average."