One in four adults is living in an unsuitable home but cannot afford to move, credit unions say.

A survey commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) found large numbers of Irish people are living in houses that do not suit their needs.

Of the 1,000 adults questioned, 25 per cent said their accommodation was no longer suitable but they could not afford to move. Perhaps surprisingly, the results were almost the same for the 18-34 year olds as for the older 35-54 year old age group.

More than one-quarter – 28 per cent – of the younger group felt this way while 26 per cent of the older cohort expressed similar views of their homes.

Almost one-fifth of those who took part wanted to extend their homes while one-third wanted make improvements, but could did not have the cash to do so.

Commenting on the findings, ILCU head of marketing and communications Emmet Oliver said: "It's troubling that such a substantial portion feel trapped in unsuitable homes but say the current property market is preventing them from moving out."