‘I must be radical': Housing Minister James Browne says he will ‘take risks' to solve homes crisis
Sinn Féin has said the plans will condemn renters to living in 'small and dark apartments' and will delay construction by increasing the number of judicial reviews taken by local authorities.
Under the proposals, restrictions will be lifted on the number of one-bedroom apartments allowed in a development, which now stands at no more than 50pc.
The minimum size for studio apartments will be reduced from 37 sq m to 32 sq m.
Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin said reducing minimum apartment sizes will mean renters 'paying higher rents for smaller and darker apartments'.
He said a similar policy introduced by a previous housing minister, Fine Gael's Eoghan Murphy, in 2018, did not lead to an increase in supply or result in lower rents.
'As we have seen before, it will increase the value of land and push up construction costs,' he said.
'Worst of all, such proposals will lead to a dramatic increase in judicial reviews, delaying even further the delivery of homes.
'That is because repeating this hare-brained proposal will lead to two sets of planning rules – one set by local authorities' development plans and another by the Minister for Housing.'
The Social Democrats also accused the minister of 'dusting off' old plans, to make apartments 'glorified shoe boxes'.
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The party's housing spokesman Rory Hearne said: 'Reducing apartment sizes, and slashing guidelines, will do one thing – increase developer profits. It will not bring down the cost of housing and it will not encourage more individuals and families to live in apartments.'
Labour Party councillor Darragh Moriarty, who is chairman of Dublin City Council's Community, Gaeilge, Sport, Arts and Culture Committee, said the proposed rules will result in the 'trampling all over local democracy' and 'undermine the idea of sustainable communities'.
The proposed new rules will state that communal, community or cultural facilities within apartment schemes shall not be required by local authorities on a mandatory basis if they have implications for the viability of a development.
Mr Moriarty said this was a 'blatant attack on the principle of building sustainable communities'.
But Mr Browne told RTÉ programme The Week in Politics that the only solution to the housing crisis is 'supply, supply, supply'.
I think we have over-corrected from the crash and been way too cautious
'I am prepared to take risks and move our government and civil decision-makers into that more radical space around making decisions,' the minister said.
'I think we have over-corrected from the crash and we have been way too cautious.
'The decisions I have made over the last few weeks and will be making over the coming months are radical decisions that will transform housing delivery in this country, and activate the private sector.'
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