The Orphanage co-living development
Deputy Burton objected to a Dún Laoghaire co-living scheme marketed as 'The Orphanage' while thousands of children were homeless. The Minister of State said naming a property is a local authority matter and the development would be assessed under existing co-living guidelines.
I want to ask the Minister, Deputy Doherty, whether or not she and other members of the Government approve of a new co-living space in the Dún Laoghaire area which is advertised at €1,200 to €1,500 per month and is called The Orphanage. The marketing blurb calls on people to make it their "adopted home". This Government is presiding over 3,750 children in homelessness. They have no home to go to, whether in an orphanage or anywhere else. Will the Government, which has encouraged the idea of co-living - the monstrous idea of up to 42 adults sharing a kitchen space though not in this luxury development - ask the developers to change the name of the development in Dún Laoghaire, which is a disgrace in light of the tens of thousand of people in Ireland who were in institutions?
Comment on this
The suggestion that luxury housing should be called The Orphanage at a time when nearly 4,000 children are homeless-----
Comment on this
The name of a property is not a matter for the Government. The local authorities are engaged with developers on the names which they may call a development.
In regard to co-living, there are guidelines set out. Every application will be judged on those guidelines. They allow a certain type of model of co-living. Decisions already made in this area follow those guidelines. No doubt, they will kick in in this instance as well. As I said, as it is an individual application the name of the property is a matter for the relevant local authority. The Government does not get involved in such matters. I agree with the Deputy that there are better names to call the development but that is not a matter for the Government.