Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

The Government's last action before the Dáil rises for the summer is to cook the books on affordable housing delivery and ram through new legislation to reduce apartment standards that will mean generations of Irish people will be forced to pay €3,000 a month rent to investor funds to live in dark shoeboxes. Once again, the Government is sacrificing renters to investor funds and developers, who are clearly the ones making the housing policies. The apartment reductions will result in delayed projects. Ultimately, they will result in the creation of modern-day tenements. No mix, just all high-density micro-unit misery, less light, less space and higher rents.

We are likely to see to see more overcrowding and negative impacts on mental and physical health. Where will young people in our cities be able to have enough space to have a family when all that is built is one-bedroom apartments and studios? It is a cynical move, creating micro-units that will inflate the Government's delivery numbers so it can say it has met its housing targets, just like half its affordable home delivery this year has been vacant grants. Where is the evidence that the Government's new apartment guidelines will result in more affordable homes?

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