Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In July, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced that he was conducting a review of co-living, despite having stated when in opposition that co-living was "bonkers". Today, yet another co-living application has hit the headlines. This time it is for a 14-storey, 506-bed co-living development in the markets area near Capel Street in Dublin city centre, which, as it happens, is in my constituency. The Taoiseach previously referred to co-living as "battery cage-type accommodation" and asked if we were going back to the era of tenements. I agree with his sentiments. Co-living is glorified tenement living and a Sinn Féin Bill being debated tonight would ban it. Does the Taoiseach still believe co-living is battery cage-type accommodation? Does he accept that it is particularly dangerous in the middle of a pandemic?

What is the status of the Minister's review of co-living? Will the Government support the Sinn Féin Bill this evening?

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