Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I did not get a chance to congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his new position last week and I would like to take the opportunity to do that now.

To follow-up on the sentiments of Senator Black in relation to co-living developments, I have represented the Dublin 8 area and I am a resident there for a very long time. This is wider than simply Dublin 8. It is a question of health. I welcomed the fact that the Minister stated on radio on Friday that he did not believe that co-living was a long-term solution to the housing crisis but, as Minister, under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, he has the power to immediately rescind co-living regulations. The development in Dublin 8 that Senator Black was referring to is currently going through An Bord Pleanála and the Minister has the power to ensure that these developments are not given planning permission. In the light of Covid-19, we see co-living and student accommodation where one has shared facilities are not optimum for the future. Such accommodation, particularly co-living developments, could lead to clusters of viral-related Covid. We have a number of student accommodation complexes - 4,000 units as opposed to 78 currently planned units for residential - in Dublin 8 and there are another 414 going through. Dublin city and architecture has always had a way of responding to health's challenges of our time. Areas like Mary Aikenhead House and flat complexes developed by Herbert Sims contained room for people to be able to self-isolate. It would be a disappointment if we saw a number of co-living developments built over the next couple of years because the Minister has put this out to a review rather than use his powers under section 28 to immediately rescind the co-living development guidelines.