Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More than a year ago, the new guidelines came into force. The Deputy and her party did not participate in the public consultation that was held at the time. According to the logic of the article published yesterday and to which the Deputy referred, which is that allowing for more units on a site will drive up the cost of that site, one would build only one unit of accommodation per site regardless of the size of the site or demand in the area. Therefore, the logic behind the article is essentially flawed.

What we are trying to do is cater to a very small part of the market. The demand is small but there is still demand. If over the next 12 months, 1% of new builds in this country provide for co-living, it will take between 200 and 250 people. That will free up potentially 100 to 125 apartments in the same area. That is how we provide choice. That is how we make sure the various needs in society can be met. At present, people do not have choice. That is the real crisis we are trying to address. We are not trying to replace the traditional apartment; nothing like it. We are trying to add an additional layer to what is being built because there is a demand for it. We know this from the other cities we are trying to emulate. I refer to their stable rental sectors, cost rental models and more compact growth. It is a matter of making sure we are cognisant of our climate obligations in terms of how and where we build. Co-living can be part of that, in terms of shared accommodation and what some people might choose to live in.

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