A majority of surveyed couples in the Republic who are planning to have children say they are delaying becoming parents as a result of the housing crisis.
Research commissioned by the Catholic marriage care service Accord also found that just under half of couples planning to get married (48%) were putting it off over housing concerns.
Out of all adults surveyed, 84% said they believed the housing crisis was causing delays in couples marrying and having children.
Of those aged 25-34, 54% said they are planning to marry and have children eventually.
However, 33% say they would have married within the past three years, but delayed it over housing concerns.
Of those saying children were part of their future family plans, 60% say they would already be parents if not for the crisis in housing.
A report by research agency Savills last year found the Republic has the worst ratio of housing supply to population growth among nine high-income countries including the UK, USA, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Accord poll also found that 69% of those aged 25 to 34 say the cost of owning a home was delaying their marriage and plans for children.
Meanwhile, Accord has revealed that the number of couples taking part in their marriage preparation courses right across the island have dropped from 7,281 in 2023 to 5,194 last year.
Accord director Tony Shanahan said the survey findings were both “significant and striking” and urged the government in Dublin to do more to tackle the crisis.
“This has serious social implications now and into the future,” he said.
“Possible practical responses might include government acting to streamline and simplify the planning process to amend housing regulations for older properties to bring vacant units back into use.
“The hope that young people hold for a married life together, and to start a family, needs to be underpinned by certainty in a functioning and affordable housing market.
“However, there is no single housing market. Different demographics have different needs, and public policy should incentivise development initiatives geared towards the provision of accommodation solutions appropriate to each demographic.”
The issue was also addressed on Tuesday by Bishop Denis Nulty in a homily during the annual blessing of couples at the shrine of St Valentine in Dublin’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
“It is incumbent on people of faith to do our best to promote all that is wholesome about sacramental marriage, inviting God into your union, what could be more beautiful?” he said.
“It is in many ways revolutionary to become sacramentally married today.”
In recent days Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke of the housing crisis in the Republic.
“We’ve got to fundamentally look at all aspects of housing policy to get more construction, to get more houses built as fast as we possibly can,” he said.
