Sinn Féin Galway West by-election candidate Mark Lohan has said the latest Daft.ie rental report exposes the devastating impact of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policies on renters across Galway.
The latest figures show rents in Galway City have increased by a staggering 18% - one of the sharpest increases in the state. Mark Lohan said renters in Galway are now being “absolutely hammered by soaring rents and are being driven out of the place they grew up”.
Meanwhile, he said Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were focussed on the interests of corporate landlords and vulture funds.
“Figures out today reveal that Galway City rents are up by a staggering 18%.A typical two-bed apartment now costs over €27,000 a year. Ordinary families or young people hoping to build a future in Galway cannot afford this in their wildest dreams.
“Rent hikes legislation introduced by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael opened the floodgates to these massive rent increases in rents.Sinn Féin warned that this would happen. Fine Fael and Fianna Fáil ignored us and instead sided with big landlords, corporate investors and vulture funds.
“Now renters in Galway are paying the price. These figures include just the first month of the government allowing landlords to jack rents up to market rates. That means renters in Galway could face even worse increases in the months ahead.
“The human cost of this is appalling - people locked out of housing; families facing eviction; young people forced to emigrate because they cannot afford to live in Galway anymore.
“The real choice in this by-election is whether Galway returns another Fine Gael TD to continue the same failed policies, or elects a Sinn Féin TD who will fight to cut rents and stand up for renters and working people.
“Sinn Féin would act to ban rent increases, stop no-fault evictions and dramatically increase the delivery of social and genuinely affordable homes.
“This crisis is the result of political choices. Galway renters cannot take any more.”
