New figures showing that the number of young adults still living with their parents has nearly doubled in the last decade should ring alarm bells for the Government, according to Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan.
Eurostat figures from 2022 show that 68% of people in Ireland aged between 25 and 29 are still living at home with their parents.
The Irish figure starkly contrasts with the European average of 42%, with Denmark, Finland, and Sweden all recording figures below 7%.
The survey noted that almost half (45.4%) of young people in this age group describe their life satisfaction as high, compared to 3.6% who said it was ‘low’.
O’Callaghan, who serves as the Social Democrats’ housing spokesperson, said the findings “paint a very bleak picture of what it’s like to be a young adult in Ireland today.”
“The figures show that a staggering 68% of those aged between 25 and 29 are still living in their parents’ home, this is significantly higher than the EU average of 42%,” he said.
“The number of young adults stuck in their childhood bedrooms has almost doubled since Fine Gael took office 12 years ago and continues to skyrocket under this Government. Young people are forced to choose between sacrificing their independence or paying astronomical amounts to live in an insecure rental sector.”
“This is a result of a monumental failure to provide people with access to affordable housing,” he said.
“In Denmark, for instance, young people have access to a wide range of high-quality social, affordable and student accommodation options. It is hardly a coincidence that 25 to 29-year-olds in Ireland are now 15 times more likely to be still living with their parents than those in Denmark.”
O’Callaghan called on Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to “stop acting as if he is a mere bystander to this crisis.”
“If high-quality, affordable housing is not provided, emigration will increasingly become the only option for young adults who want to set up a life of their own,” he said.
Fellow opposition TD Ivana Bacik said that the findings represent the “stark social consequences” of the housing crisis, with the Dublin Bay South TD saying “the generational crisis is getting worse.”
“Unaffordable rents and skyrocketing house prices have meant that young people are living at home with parents for longer, putting off big life moments like living independently or moving in with friends or a partner,” she said.