The cost of owning a home has risen sharply, with new figures from the Central Statistics Office showing average prices have increased by €200,000 over the past decade.
The median house price last year was €355,000, compared to €155,000 in 2013. In the 12 months to December 2024, prices rose by 8.7 percent, with Fingal in Dublin seeing a 10 percent increase, while border counties such as Cavan, Donegal, and Leitrim recorded a surge of over 14 percent.
The figures were published on the same day a Dáil debate on the housing crisis saw calls for more public money to be used for social and affordable housing.
The Government opposed a Social Democrats motion to close ‘legal loopholes’ that the party says allow investment funds to reduce their tax bills. The proposal also called for Rent Pressure Zones to be retained ahead of a planned review.
Pressure on the Government intensified after the new Housing Minister arrived over an hour late to the debate, speaking briefly in its final 15 minutes. Opposition parties accused the Government of failing younger generations as housing targets continue to fall short.
