Housing Minister James Browne said: 'We are protecting renters, and I am moving swiftly on this'

Micheál Martin said more investment from the private sector is needed to reach the target of building 50,000 homes a year.

The Dáil was told that renters are ‘bracing themselves’ for a rise.

Informal letting arrangements are a result of "government inaction" and a "failing rental market", according to the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA)

Just six per cent of people renting in Ireland do so by choice, according to a report from homelessness charity Threshold

Almost one third of tenants said their rent is higher than it was when they began their tenancy