LAST UPDATE | 23 Jun

THE BISHOP OF Kildare has said housing is “the biggest obstacle” to marriage in Ireland, after the latest CSO figures showed the marriage rate has dropped by 9.7% between 2014 and 2025.

“I can assure you the biggest obstacle to couples getting married today is housing. It’s huge,” Bishop Denis Nulty told The Irish Catholic.

CSO figures suggest that since 2013 property prices nationally have increased by 171.7%, and continue to grow. The cost of renting has also soared, with the sector seeing its largest increase in almost a quarter of a century this year.

Meanwhile, a recent report by Deloitte found that 55% of Gen Zs and 52% of millennials in Ireland say they have delayed major life decisions, such as marriage or starting a family, due to their financial situation.

We want to hear your stories regarding whether the housing crisis has impacted your choices and decisions around relationships and marriage.

Get in touch by emailing answers@thejournal.ie and telling us about your experiences. Keep your responses to two or three paragraphs.

• Have you delayed getting married, or decided against it, to buy a house?
• Have you got married for housing security?
• Has your relationship been impacted by moving in with your parents to save money?
• Have you found it hard manage a relationship with housing pressures?

Please include your name, age and county, or tell us if you would like to remain anonymous.

We’ll reflect your stories in a future article on this subject.