Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis. Photo: David Fleming

Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis. Photo: David Fleming

Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis. Photo: David Fleming

Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis. Photo: David Fleming

Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis. Photo: David Fleming

Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin today to demand action on the housing crisis.

A large crowd marched to Leinster House where they were greeted by several speakers including Senator Francis Black and singer/song writer Damien Dempsey.

Chants of ‘raise the roof, not the rent’ rang out through the city as upwards of 10,000 people made their way towards Dail Eireann.

Mother-of-seven Margaret Cash, who made headlines earlier this year when a photo of her children sleeping on chairs in a garda station went viral, made an impassioned speech at the protest.

"How many innocent people will die on our streets this winter," she asked.

Senator Francis Black said it was a "national scandal".

Expand Close People taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp People taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

“We know that Ireland is one of the wealthiest countries in this world, 10,000 people in this country are homeless and nearly 3,000 children, it’s a national scandal and we can’t except it as normal.

"We know the figures show a 24pc increase on last year, a stark reminder of the depth of this crisis. We cannot forget that behind every single figure and statistic is a human being, someone sheltering from the cold under soaked cardboard or a mother unsure where her children will sleep tonight,”

“This is happening right across our country every single day and it should summon up in us the anger and determination needed to force our government to act. Even at our poorest we built housing in this country, do not let them tell you it can’t be done."

Local resident Kathy Rice (60s), watching the procession from the steps of her home on Peterson’s Court, told Independent.ie that she agreed with the protesters.

Expand Close People taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp People taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

“They’re right to do what they have to do because if they don’t, they won’t get anywhere. They should build more houses for the young people, instead of hotels,” Ms Rice said.

DIT Student Union president Pierre Yimbog (22) also outlined his reasons for attending.

“We’re here because the Government have not taken enough action to end the housing crisis. Students are left homeless, students are not able to come to college because they can’t afford rent, they’re being scammed, they’ve no rights to accommodation or even digs so we’re here to take action like we did last year about student loans.”

Fellow students Anil Marjara (20) and PJ Maguire - Kavanaugh (21) told Independent.ie that they were protesting for a "brighter future".

Expand Close Siobhan Rice, from Saggart, with daughters Saoirse, 7, and Naomi, 6, taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp Siobhan Rice, from Saggart, with daughters Saoirse, 7, and Naomi, 6, taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Molesworth Street, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

“With the current state of the situation right now we’re not going to be able to move out - we’re going to be in our parents' house until we’re in our late twenties. No responsibility means chaos,” Anil said.

“I’m here to protest the completely unfair living conditions that slumlords are putting on people and exploiting them for really high rents. I’m here with some of my friends and fellow students to raise awareness about this and to try and make a difference because at the end of the day people power is what will get something done about this, as we’ve seen with previous campaigns like the Marriage Equality and Repeal the 8th referendums,” PJ told Independent.ie.

Expand Close Student Mark Dunne taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp Student Mark Dunne taking part in 'Raise the Roof' housing rally. Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

Shannon Carey, who turns 19 tomorrow, said she faces a long commute every day to college.

“I’m a student in AIT (Athlone Institute of Technology) who is unable to live down in Athlone, I have to travel every day from Kinnegad, which is affecting my work, cause when I get home I'm mentally and physically drained from travelling. Sometimes I can’t get on the bus because it’s too packed and I have to wait two hours for another one. We need affordable rent, I cannot afford to rent.”

As the housing crisis continues, anger grows among a population hungry for change. Rents continue to rise nationwide.

The cost of accommodation rose by close to 8pc in the last year, official figures show.

The average rent nationwide is now €1,094. This is up almost €80 in the last year.

In Dublin, city rents rose by 9.5pc, to almost €1,600 on average, according to the Residential Tenancies Board.

The motion calling for the housing crisis to be declared a national emergency is being supported by all parties and a number of Independents in the Dáil and calls on the Government to introduce emergency measures in response to the housing crisis.

Speaking in the Dáil on the motion Mr Murphy defended the Government’s record on housing and outlined the targets set out by his department to date.

He appealed to all TDs not to oppose developments in their constituencies from today on, but to leave planners to do their work.

He said the Government will always welcome good ideas brought before the House but dismissed the idea of a nationwide rent freeze. The freeze, he said, would not build a single apartment of which Ireland needs thousands.

The government will be “honest about the challenges that we face... [but] we won’t use housing as a weapon to divide our people”, he told the Dáil.

He said it was not right that a young couple earning good money can’t afford a home.

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin O’Broin warned the government to avoid the thousands who had taken to the street today at their peril.

Online Editors