The government must increase Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rates on an emergency basis to avoid a tsunami of homelessness, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“The latest ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report from the Simon Communities of Ireland will come as a further blow to renters – just one day after the government rammed its flawed Residential Tenancies Bill through the Dáil.
“This is the charity’s 40th report detailing the chronic state of Ireland’s rental market – and the first to find zero properties available to rent within standard Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits.
“This is now beyond a crisis – it is a social catastrophe that disproportionately impacts some of our most vulnerable renters. More than 53,000 households are reliant on HAP, representing upwards of 100,000 people.
“I am now calling on the government to raise standard HAP rates on an emergency basis – and increase the discretionary limit in cases where there is an immediate risk of homelessness.
“The human cost of this government-made disaster is colossal as the numbers living in homeless emergency accommodation continue to rise. Alarmingly, there are around 5,000 household evictions every quarter – where on earth are those people expected to find anywhere affordable to rent, even when discretionary HAP rates are applied?
“Due to the government’s failure to deliver enough social or affordable homes, more and more households are completely dependent on HAP to put a roof over their heads as they can’t afford to pay market rents.
“Meanwhile, the government last night voted through a deeply problematic bill that will see rents increase even further and push more people into emergency accommodation and hidden homelessness.
“Today’s report from the Simon Communities of Ireland is yet another reminder of the complete mess that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have made of housing.”
February 12, 2026