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A third of our Cabinet Ministers are landlords, it has emerged – as the Government comes under immense pressure to tackle the homeless scandal.

Six out of 19 Ministers own properties other than their family homes - and figures show a further five Fine Gael TDs are lining their pockets from rental revenue.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed is raking in rent from properties at three different addresses in Macroom, Co Cork.

He owns a commercial unit with three apartments and is also letting out other properties in the area.

Employment Minister Regina Doherty rents out a property at Ashbourne Business Park in Co Meath and an apartment at City Campus in Limerick.

(Image: Gareth Chaney Collins)

Former Housing Minister Simon Coveney lets an apartment overlooking Harty’s Quay in Rochestown, Co Cork.

Figures also show that Wexford TD and Minister of State for Defence, Paul Kehoe, has a letting in Enniscorthy and an apartment on Haddington Road, Dublin.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and Chief Whip Joe McHugh are also registered landlords.

According to the Oireachtas registry of members’ interests, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Francis Fitzgerald and new Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy are not making an income from other properties.

Five other government TDs including John Deasy are also making a tidy sum from rentals.

The Waterford TD owns a rental apartment in Citywest, West Dublin while Pat Deering has a rental property in Rathvilly, Co Carlow.

(Image: Collins Photo Agency)

Records for TD John Paul Phelan show that he has a 50% stake in a house in Dublin’s Rathmines - one of the city’s rental goldmines.

The Government’s efforts to get a grip on the worst housing crisis in modern history have been branded a ‘national disgrace’ by campaigners.

The latest figures show that a record number of 1,178 families with 2,423 children are homeless in the Dublin area alone.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said: “People shouldn’t be dying on the streets. People deserve more dignity than that.”

(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)

He made the comments in response to the tragic deaths of three homeless people in a black 72 hours.

The Minister has called all 31 of the country’s local authority chiefs to an “emergency summit on housing and homelessness” this week, warning that some councils are not treating the crisis with the urgency it requires.

Meanwhile, the biggest recorded landlord in the Dáil is Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae, who owns two farmhouses rented out and a rental property in his home village of Kilgarvan.

He also has a rental apartment at Killarney, houses rented out in Kenmare, Castleisland and Killarney, and student accommodation in Limerick.

Fianna Fáil’s John Mc Guinness’ declaration listed three rental properties in Dublin, three in Kilkenny, property in Limerick and Tipperary, and interest in a nursing home.

And Fianna Fail’s John Curran snapped up an apartment in Green Isle Court, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.