Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome yesterday's decision by An Bord Pleanála to reject a co-living development in Harold's Cross.

Last week, we debated the Residential Tenancies Bill here and I raised the issue of co-living in the context of Covid-19. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, did not seem too impressed that I used the debate to raise the issue of co-living. I ask for a debate in this House specifically on co-living and let those who support the model come in, and stand over it.

Even a reporter for the Financial Timesdescribed a co-living development in London as a "hobbit home" and when detailing the layout of the room she said, "Imagine a dolled-up Holiday Inn." I think the model is based on greed. It has no regard for the tenants and local community who have come out against the co-living development in Harold's Cross and Fumbally Lane in the Liberties, Dublin 8. It is even less impressive in the context of Covid-19.

In its decision, An Bord Pleanála indicated that developers had not even bothered to stick to the guidelines of where co-living developments should be located. When the people proposing these developments do not even stick to the Government's guidelines that very much exposes the opportunistic nature of co-living developments.

The developers in Harold's Cross originally applied for a smaller number of larger sized apartments. I think they saw an opportunity with the new regulations and chanced their arm. That sums up the motivation for co-living, which is about sweating the asset. We await a decision by An Bord Pleanála about the development at Fumbally Lane in the Liberties and, therefore, we need a debate. As I said, the Minister was unwilling to discuss the issue when we debated the Residential Tenancies Bill and I ask the Leader to schedule a debate.