Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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377. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if it is correct to calculate a studio apartment as one dwelling unit of density, when calculating the correct density, in student housing accommodation, considering the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published on 15 of January 2024. [36323/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, it is important to highlight that my role in relation to local and regional planning matters is to provide the legislative, policy and financial framework at a national level within which local and regional authorities can perform their functions. Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) provides that the Minister shall not exercise any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority of the Board is or may be concerned.

In January 2024, I issued the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The guidelines set out national policy for planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, including policy and guidance in relation to residential density. Planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to the guidelines in the performance of their functions under the Act.

The guidelines state that dwellings per hectare (dph) will continue to be the primary measure for residential density. This measure is well understood and embedded within the planning system, and when applied alongside other design standards, provides a relatively simple and effective means of reflecting the quantum, scale and form of development within settlements. When calculating net densities for shared accommodation, such as student housing, the guidelines state that four bed spaces shall be the equivalent of one dwelling. It is of note that the Sustainable Urban Housing Design Standards for New Apartments Guidelines (2023) describe shared accommodation as a professionally managed rental accommodation, where individual rooms are rented and have access to shared or communal facilities and amenities. The guidelines describe a studio apartment as a unit with a combined living / sleeping area, generally provided for a single person.