Editorial: Housing and cost of living crises are ruining people's hopes for a better life - Kilkenny Live

The housing crisis is continuing to spiral out of control, and the average cost of rent is rising far beyond what many people can afford and be able to still live comfortably.

The average listed rent in Kilkenny is now €1,691, up 68% from the level when the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, with market rents here on average an astonishing 9.5% higher in the second quarter of 2025 than a year previously.  The average open-market rent nationwide is now twice that seen at the Celtic Tiger’s peak, with the number of homes to rent also chronically low.
READ: EYE-WATERING COST OF RENTING IN KILKENNY REVEALED

The Government is failing to get to grips with the problem. The price of property and of rent are leading to people abandoning any aspirations to a middle class lifestyle. House prices have grown far beyond earnings, with a single first-time buyer now needing to earn more than €75,000 to be in with a shot of getting on the property ladder (page 2).

Combined with the staggering cost of living, with things like childcare and groceries all increasing in cost, this basic comfortable lifestyle is beyond the reach of many. Few workers’ salaries will have risen anything close to current inflation.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, during the Celtic Tiger, there was a broader feeling, for many people, that a rising tide had lifted most boats. It is not true that ‘we all partied’, but while there were a small number of people doing exceptionally well, most others could still afford a decent lifestyle, houses were being built, a certain basics were within reach. That feeling is simply not there for many people this time around.

Leaving certificate
Congratulations to all our local students who received Leaving Cert results on Friday. While many chose to get them online, it was great to see several schools invite their past pupils back to celebrate the day.

Congratulations to those who got the results they needed, and for those who did not, don’t worry. Your adult lives are only beginning, and the possibilities are endless.