The chronic lack of affordable housing needs to be addressed, a Fingal County Council meeting has heard.
Eugene Coppinger (Socialist Party) said Fingal County Council should apply for house-building funding immediately.
“I know of someone who was in receipt of €600 in rent assistance, who was paying rent of €1,000 per month, was told by the Department of Social Welfare that she was paying too much rent, and to go and find a house where rent is cheaper.”
Mr Coppinger was speaking during a motion discussing unfinished estates.
Ciarán Byrne (Labour) said there was a two-tier housing market between Dublin and the rest of the country, with demand for affordable housing outstripping supply.
Anne Devitt (FG) said that even if unfinished housing estates were competed, there were not enough houses to meet private tenant or public authority needs. Darragh Butler (FF) said families on rent allowance were being priced out of the rental market.