House prices have doubled since the 1997 general election, according to a Labour Party analysis of Department of the Environment housing statistics.
The Labour housing spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said the findings highlighted the Government's "abject failure" to check inflation in the property market.
The average price of a starter home had increased to £131,821 from £73,523 in the past three years, he said. "The stark reality behind these figures is that thousands of young couples in particular are being forced out of the housing market and must remain reliant on the unregulated private rented sector," he said.