Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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7. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the guidelines on shared accommodation are under review in view of the Covid-19 pandemic; and his views on same. [17649/20]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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Will the Minister set out his views on shared housing, which is another controversial scheme initiated by the previous Government. Is there a review of that scheme under way, particularly in light of the fact that Covid-19 means that such accommodation will be completely inappropriate into the future?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My views on this matter are well known and I have initiated a review of the scheme. I am bound to do so and that is what I am doing. To put the issue in context, not one co-living development has been built. That said, I am aware of applications that have come in quite recently in the co-living space. I want to make sure, through the review, that there is no impact on or any unintended consequences for purpose-built student accommodation or other things. I have started that review and I do not intend it go on forever. My intention is to come back to the House on it in the autumn and to work in consultation with the joint Oireachtas committee on housing, whenever that is established.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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In many aspects of Irish life, Covid-19 has ripped off the plaster. If it has particularly exposed any one issue in Irish society, it has been in regard to housing and how people are living. If we ask people to stay at home as a national call, then we have to be mindful of how people live. If they are living in overcrowded accommodation, if three generations are living in the one house, if people do not have access to a back garden, then all of the things for which people have been criticised for campaigning on over the years are now seen to have been valid complaints. The Minister says that no co-living accommodation has been built and that may be true, but he must be aware that planning permissions have been granted for such accommodation. What is his and his Department's intention in regard to this reality?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I am absolutely aware that some permissions have been granted. I looked for detailed figures on this and they show that out of 62,546 homes which were approved up to June this year, 600 were deemed to be shared accommodation. That is the proportion we are talking about. However, the Deputy makes a very fair point that there are applications coming in and permissions have been granted. As he knows, I am precluded from talking about particular applications but I have initiated a review and I am serious about it. My own views on this issue have not changed. I want to make sure, as part of the review I am undertaking, that there are no unintended consequences to proceeding with such schemes. The Deputy made the further really important point that we already have people living in shared accommodation in overcrowded apartments and houses, sometimes with three or four generations in the same home. These are not examples of the new co-living schemes but the reality of co-living for many people. We have to address that, through our building programme, by building more public homes.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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We do not want to have death by review.

What is the timescale for the completion of the review? All the while, planning applications are being submitted and permission is being granted, which leads to a bigger problem. If the review and Government action are swift, we will avoid the construction of a significant number of co-living accommodation units with which we would then have to contend. In light of the possibility of a second wave or having to deal with Covid for several years, it would be absolutely irresponsible to suggest that anybody should live in this way. It was a bad idea before Covid because it is not an ethical housing policy. There is no dignity attached to it. It makes money for some people but it is not the way we should be building communities. I think the Minister agrees with me in that regard. When will the review be completed? If the Government is serious about doing something on this issue, when will it act?

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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The views of the Minister on this matter are well known. I will remind the House of remarks he made a year ago, almost to the day. He described the policy as "bonkers" and stated that Fine Gael was out of touch for trying to pursue it. He stated that Fine Gael should scrap co-living and that if Deputies Varadkar and Eoghan Murphy wanted this bonkers policy so much, they should live together.

The Minister is not duty-bound to carry out a review. He has mandatory ministerial guideline powers that were introduced by Deputy Kelly when he was Minister in 2015 and early 2016. He can walk into the Custom House and abolish this bonkers policy right now. There is no need for a review. All the review will do is incentivise developers to do exactly what Deputy Ó Ríordáin outlined, that is, to rush in applications to jack up the price of the land. A review is no good. In fact, it is bonkers to carry out a review of a bonkers policy. The Minister should scrap it now.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I probably should be flattered that Deputy Ó Broin takes such a personal interest in the things I say. He never misses an opportunity to jump on a bandwagon either. I say "well done" to him. It is no surprise. I must act responsibly and I will do so as Minister with responsibility for this area.

To answer Deputy Ó Ríordáin's question, which was a genuine one because he wishes to see a resolution to this issue, I have been in office for slightly less than four weeks. We have done a significant amount of work in that period. I have initiated the review. It will not go on forever. I started it very recently. I expect that we could have the work done by early autumn, probably in September.

There are other priorities which I have already discussed. I must balance the work I do. I do not have infinite human resources or time and, as such, I must prioritise issues such as public housing delivery and the affordable purchase scheme, which I very much wish to bring through, as well as the residential tenancies Bill I mentioned in response to Deputy O'Callaghan, which I hope to get up and running next week. There are some urgent matters which I need to act on immediately.

The review is under way. I intend to come back to the House in autumn with it. I will engage directly with Deputy Ó Ríordáin on it. I do not wish for the review to go on forever. Obviously, I will have to bring the results of the review to my Government colleagues.