Taoiseach Micheál Martin has admitted he worries about the impact the housing crisis will have on his own children.
Mr Martin also expressed concern over young people being able to afford to live in cities they were born in across Ireland.
His comments come after a recent ESRI report revealed the number of 25 to 34-year-olds living independently, who own their own home, more than halved between 2004 and 2019, falling from 60% to just 27%.
Read More : Young couples could find it easier to get planning permission following review
When asked by the Irish Mirror if he worries about the effect the housing crisis may have on three of his children; Micheál Aodh, Aoibhe and Cillian Martin, he said: “I don't want to personalise things but I do of course.
“The price of houses is shockingly high for young couples, that's why we're bringing in new affordable schemes.
“I worry about the fact that younger people more generally, the capacity to live in cities that they're born in is becoming less and less of a possibility.”
The Fianna Fáil leader said this is not just an issue in Ireland and the percentage of income needed to buy is too high.
Speaking to reporters on a recent trip to Japan, Mr Martin added: “That's not just an Irish phenomenon, it's a global phenomenon.
“But in Ireland, we always had that sense that if you got a job, you got work that over time you will be able to sustain a mortgage and be able to buy a house.
“The pricing and the percentage of income has to go… is too high.
“We need more supply so we need to make sure that we have a consistent level of supply over the next 10 years. We just have to do it on a far greater scale.”
A report out this week by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has shown the rental crisis has deteriorated again with costs for new tenancies increasing by 9.2% in the first three months of this year in comparison to the same time last year.
According to the RTB, the national average rent in new tenancies is now €1,460, which is an increase of €46 compared to the last three months of last year.
And rents for new tenancies in Dublin are now €2,015 per month.
Earlier this month, an ESRI report showed that the number of 25 to 34-year-olds living independently, who own their own home, more than halved between 2004 and 2019, falling from 60% to just 27%.
And the report states that lower homeownership rates mean a higher proportion of households in the rental sector and the continuation of rental payments into retirement.
Mr Martin also said young couples should find it easier to get planning permission to build their dream home following a review of planning laws.
He said the current system in place is "problematic" and a comprehensive review of the planning code hopes to be ready by October this year.
When asked if the review could result in couples finding it easier to get planning permission, he said: “That and also that the projects that they wish to buy from, the housing projects, that they get up faster and that the various pieces of infrastructure as well.”
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