Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

People might say I am putting on my developer's hat but I would argue that I speak from experience, given that I am not a developer at present but God knows what day I might start again. However, I do agree with Deputy Daly on several points. I am concerned because I am a little confused about what exactly will happen. From my understanding, the March 2007 recommendations which the city council came up with can now be ignored and we are back to the 2000 regulations. The Bill will give serious power to the Minister. Even if we had the best Minister on the planet looking after housing, who knows how long he or she would have the job? The next person might be a complete idiot, and how he or she exercises the power on getting the reins could be dangerous. We probably need to make it stronger and not leave things to the whim of any particular individual. This is a little scary. I also agree with Deputy Daly that how the Government has dealt with housing challenges has been disappointing. I know it has not been easy, and the area is very complex with many different problems in the industry, but I do not see many of them being properly addressed in the long term. We have had a tendency to implement short-term strategies and a serious absence of long-term strategy, and this is not how we should approach the challenges we have in housing.

I have read the Bill, and the Minister of State mentioned the various issues that can be re-examined, such as the minimum size of apartments, the number of apartments per lift, car park provision, floor to ceiling heights and the amount of dual aspect. Will a certain amount of dual aspect in a development be requested? Is this correct? Or will the Government go a little lighter on the demands being made of a developer?

We can build really well and lighten some of the recommendations that were introduced in 2007. My experience of the industry is that building quality need not suffer. I believe in the idea of studio apartments. More and more couples are breaking up and more and more people live alone. Studio apartments make sense and they do not have to be massive. Apartments need to be a healthy size for families. In a two bedroom apartment, there must be room for a desk in the second bedroom.

That is not my mobile phone.

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