Co-living review
Deputy McDonald raised a new co-living development in Dublin and criticised the Government’s approach to co-living policy. The Taoiseach said the review would be published soon and that he had no difficulty waiting for it.
In July, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced that he was conducting a review of co-living, despite having stated when in opposition that co-living was "bonkers". Today, yet another co-living application has hit the headlines. This time it is for a 14-storey, 506-bed co-living development in the markets area near Capel Street in Dublin city centre, which, as it happens, is in my constituency. The Taoiseach previously referred to co-living as "battery cage-type accommodation" and asked if we were going back to the era of tenements. I agree with his sentiments. Co-living is glorified tenement living and a Sinn Féin Bill being debated tonight would ban it. Does the Taoiseach still believe co-living is battery cage-type accommodation? Does he accept that it is particularly dangerous in the middle of a pandemic?
What is the status of the Minister's review of co-living? Will the Government support the Sinn Féin Bill this evening?
Comment on this
My understanding is that the review will be completed soon and that the Minister will publish it. Co-living has not developed or taken off as was originally feared. There have been a lot of planning applications passed, but as a percentage of overall development, it is very low. In my view, of course it has the potential to become glorified tenement living given the nature of some of the applications I have seen and what could transpire. I have no difficulty in waiting to see the review and for it to be published.