Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

The Minister of State is asking to us support a Bill that erodes basic human dignity and environmental protections and basically gives carte blanche to developers to hide the fact that his Government is a serial failure when it comes to housing. We are asked to support a Bill that will lower housing standards at a time people are struggling to find homes that support basic well-being. He did not like the critique of the Bill last Thursday and suggested we have no solutions. The Social Democrats have a fully costed, comprehensive policy on housing and I invite him to read that. He can use it if he wants because at the end of the day, we need houses built.

It is possible to deliver housing in a way that does not just give carte blanche to developers and it is not just me saying that. The Irish Planning Institute also said that as it issued a statement expressing its deep concern in quite an unprecedented move. I want to put it on the record so that members of the public and stakeholders are made aware that after 3.30 p.m. last Friday, we received 12 pages of Government amendments to this 18 page Bill. We had until 11 a.m. on Monday morning to submit amendments. Essentially, we had less than one working day to try to consolidate the effect of the Government amendments that increase the size of the Bill by two thirds, consider their implications and draft our amendments in response to them. How does the Minister of State think that is okay? How do his Department officials think that is okay? We cannot meaningfully call that type of turnaround scrutiny. Some of the amendments he has included in this Bill are actually corrections to the 2024 Act. We now see the consequences of pushing through a Bill without pre-legislative scrutiny. I am not really sure this Bill will be any different. I feel this will cause huge legal uncertainty and flawed decisions which will, in turn, risk increased numbers of judicial reviews. It is outrageous the Minister of State plans on using Part 9 of the Act to egregiously limit judicial review. In doing it that way, it could be legally and practically very problematic and could cost the Government unestimated, untold millions of euro in complex litigation.

These amendments are quite complex in their effect and many are deeply controversial, problematic and cause widespread concern. It is really important to put that out there. The legislation proposes to reduce ceiling heights, weaken light and ventilation standards and remove communal amenity requirements. It encourages the delivery of smaller, darker, lower quality apartments at a time we know how deeply housing conditions impact mental and physical health. They are only suitable for one person to live in. They will attract only those who may be short-term renting or have no other option because of the housing crisis we have. They will do nothing to address the growing number of families or couples in that situation. It seems the Bill is about the warehousing of workers rather than giving people somewhere decent to live. Even worse, these units will still command the highest rents as they fall under the new rental legislation. When these come on board, we will see rents of more than €2,300 per month for these tiny box rooms. They are being built for developers and not the people who will live in them.

The Irish Planning Institute, in a rare and serious intervention, warned that "the erosion of unit mix requirements represents a market-led approach that is fundamentally at odds...with a plan-led system [focused] on long-term, sustainable outcomes". It adds: "Our members are deeply concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the Minister's actions." If we are not careful, one of the concerns is that we will design the slums of the future. Homes will undermine well-being and dignity. What the Government is doing is having more apartments and fewer people and completely ignoring families and people with disabilities.I have not seen any detailed breakdown of the data cost on savings. I would love the Minister of State to be able to provide the data cost on savings today; that would be brilliant. We all want more homes built, but quantity must never come at the cost of basic quality, and this Bill really does need serious revision before we entrench lower standards into Irish law.