More and more young people are living at home because there is “nothing” to rent in Ireland. 

According to Eurostat the average age at which people fly the nest in Ireland now 28 amid a housing crisis that few view as improving. 

Earlier this week, one Dublin resident described a housing viewing as “carnage” after over a hundred people turned up to view the property and gloomily concluded that, "You're not in a position to choose where you live anymore.” 

For news reporter Ciara O’Loughlin, it is a phenomenon she is all too familiar with and is why she continues to live at home with her parents: 

“I’m 26 in a few weeks and I’ve always lived at home with the exception of last year,” she explained to The Hard Shoulder. 

“I moved out for four years into an apartment in Beaumont and I currently live in Donabate and I was paying €600 for a tiny room. 

“Now €600 at the moment is actually quite good… but I was working from home and I felt very claustrophobic in it. It was in the depths of the pandemic so I decided to move back home.” 

At the beginning of 2022 she and a friend started to look for a two bedroom apartment but they quickly realised the pickings in Dublin are slim: 

“We sent over 50 emails and we only got one reply and it was way above our budget,” Ciara recalled. 

“We did actually go to see it and it was very old and cold. It was mouldy. 

“So we actually ended up giving up on our hunt altogether. I am lucky that I could give up looking because I know people who went to see that house who would have jumped at that opportunity.

“The situation is really desperate for people. So although it’s not my ideal situation, I do appreciate that other people don’t have that option.” 

Ciara still keeps an eye on Daft but says there is “nothing” currently available on the website that would be suitable.

Main image: Housing in Dublin. Picture by: Rolling News