RENTAL CRISIS IN LOUTH MUST BE ADDRESSED - TD
Local TD Imelda Munster has called on the Minister for Housing to take action to resolve the private rental crisis in County Louth.
Speaking after the release of the latest rent report from property website Daft.ie, Deputy Munster said Louth has seen the highest rent increase in the state in successive Daft.ie rent reports and rents in the county have increased by 67.7% from their lowest rate.
‘Rents are spiralling and it is simply unsustainable,’ she said. ‘ The fact that Louth has seen the biggest increase, yet again, should be setting off alarm bells for the Minister for Housing. His continued inaction on this issue is causing severe hardship for the people of Louth.
‘ This is an emergency. It is a crisis. It is outrageous that the Minister for Housing and his colleagues in government are not lifting a finger to resolve this situation. I have raised this issue on numerous occasions. I have asked the government on many occasions to designate Drogheda as a Rent Pressure Zone but I have been met with a brick wall. Drogheda has the highest population of any town in the state and government continues to ignore us.’
Deputy Munster said she has written to Minister Eoghan Murphy asking him to include Drogheda in the Rent Pressure Zones which would restrict the rise in rent increases to a maximum of 4% annually.
‘I hope he heeds my call, unlike his predecessor Minister Coveney. Including Drogheda as a Rent Pressure Zone will not solve the problem, but it might help to slow down the rate of increase in rent in the county, which has been spiralling out of control for some time now,’ she said.