People in Offaly are frustrated at lack of affordable accommodation to buy or rent

"RENTS are rising, house prices are rising, homelessness is rising, and the Government are missing their housing targets - in particular the social and affordable housing targets."

That's according to local Sinn Fein councillor, Aoife Masterson, who raised the issue at last week's meeting of Offaly County Council.

She added: "When it comes to homelessness, Offaly has the second highest rate of adults accessing emergency accommodation in the midlands, with almost one third of all people accessing emergency accommodation in the region being form Offaly.

"Month on month the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise.

"While we have no numbers for the number of children accessing emergency accommodation in the region there are now 70 adults accessing emergency accommodation. This is a shocking 25% increase in two months alone - and that is before you count all the people who are couch surfing or living in overcrowded or otherwise unsuitable housing conditions.

READ MORE: Open day and thanksgiving service at Tullamore Presbyterian Church

"This rise in homelessness is hardly surprising when you realise that new rents in Offaly have increased by 7.2% in the year to March 2025 to an average of €1,642.

"None of these increases are reflected in the supports available to renters, which have not increased since January 2023 and have in fact decreased in real terms.

"The spiralling cost of rent is a direct result of government's failure to deliver a sufficient volume of social and affordable homes. The consequence is too many people, unable to purchase their own home or access social housing, are being forced into an ever shrinking private rental sector.

"The situation is no better for those looking to buy. The latest CSO property price register shows house prices are out of control for new and second hand properties. House prices rose by 7.5% in the year to March, with second hand house price inflation rising by 10.6%.

"The fact is these increases in rent and house prices far outstrip any rise most people have seen in their income.

"There is an entire generation of young people in Offaly who are unable to access affordable homes to rent or buy and forced to live with their parents into their 30's, or worse forced to emigrate.

"Older people too are increasingly faced with the prospect of trying to pay these extortionate rents from their pension or move in with family members.

"Government must recognise that its failing housing plan in the cause of the problem and tackle this crisis is with urgency it demands.

READ MORE: Challenges facing disabled in streets of Tullamore and Clara highlighted

"They must also dramatically increase investment in and delivery of affordable homes for working people to buy. Thet must deliver affordable homes at scale, at a price that working people can actually afford.

"In the meantime, they must also give renters a break. Government must introduce an emergency three year ban on rent increases and put a full month's rent back in every private renters pocket through a fully refundable tax credit.

"As a Council we cannot sit back and accept this failure.

"Councillors from Government parties must work with Sinn Féin and others to highlight this crisis at every opportunity and pressure their Government colleagues to deliver on the things that actually matter.

"People in Offaly simply cannot continue to pay the price for this Government's failures."