Jane Cuppage (38) and her dog Louis in her apartment in south Co Dublin. Jane is an insurance broker who rents a one-bedroom apartment in Dun Laoghaire for €1,800 a month. Photograph: Dan Dennison/The Irish Times

What people want from the budget?

Renter: ‘Unless I win the lotto, there’s absolutely no way I will be able to buy a house’

Jane Cuppage (38) is an insurance broker who rents a one-bedroom apartment in Dún Laoghaire for €1,800 a month.

It took her almost 18 months to find somewhere to rent when she moved back from London.

“It was difficult two and a half years ago, and it’s even more difficult now,” she says of the hunt for a rental property.

“Unless I win money on the lottery, there’s absolutely no way in the current climate that I will be able to buy a house. If it continues on this way, I’m going to be a lifetime renter,” Cuppage says.

Despite a recent pay rise, she says at least half of her salary, if not more, goes on her rent.

She has had to reduce her pension contributions to afford this, and is unable to save enough for a deposit on a home.

On top of high rental costs, she believes there is a “tax on single people” which makes the cost of living even more expensive.

“Everything from your rent, where you can live, trying to get a mortgage, and even buying food – all the meal deals are for two people minimum,” Cuppage says.

One State scheme which could have helped reduce her monthly rental payments and make saving for a mortgage more achievable was the Cost Rental scheme.

This scheme offers rented accommodation at 25 per cent below market rent to people with a net household income of €66,000 or below in Dublin or €59,000 or below in the rest of the country.

However, when Cuppage applied to one of these housing schemes, she was told her wage was too low to pay their rent of €1,300.

“I couldn’t understand, it was cheaper than the rent I’m paying to a private landlord now, but they said my net wage was too low [to afford it].

“I’m paying about €550 more a month now just on my rent, not even on my bills, and you’re telling me that I don’t qualify because I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent every month? It’s insane,” she says.

@theirishtimesnews Jane Cuppage (38) is an insurance broker who rents a one-bedroom apartment in Dún Laoghaire for €1,800 a month. It took her almost 18 months to find somewhere to rent when she moved back from London. This is what she wants to see from Budget 2026. Click the link in our bio for more and let us know what you'd like to see in the comments #budget2026 #budget #ireland #irish #dublin #dunlaoghaire ♬ original s