Moves which could mean greater numbers of smaller apartments, including studio apartments, being built are being considered by Government and are likely to be finalised in the coming weeks.
The proposals, being discussed at the highest level of the Coalition, are among efforts to make building apartments more attractive for investors and developers in a bid to increase the supply in urban areas, according to several people familiar with the discussions.
Rules governing size, insulation, requirements for dual aspect in many apartments, corridor lengths, high-spec finishes and the need to have balconies are all cited as reasons for runaway cost inflation in the price of apartments, and all are likely to be examined.
There is agreement among senior Government figures that design standards for apartments have risen so high that they have driven costs of construction to a level that has made them unaffordable.
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In addition, the mix of apartments required in developments is being discussed, with Government figures understood to favour allowing more and smaller apartments, including more studio apartments, and fewer large apartments.
Government sources were adamant that things like energy ratings, disability access and fire safety would not be affected under any package of changes that could be agreed, but outlined a range of other apartment design stipulations which the industry has protested add cost to development.
Sources stress that they are not talking about building standards – these are produced by technical experts in construction and cover things such as fire safety. Instead, they are discussing possible changes in apartment standards, which are set by planners.
“We need to change the viability equation for them,” said a Coalition source.
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Some Government officials say that while balconies in a one-bedroom apartment are a useful amenity, they can also drive up the cost of construction and contribute to affordability issues for first-time buyers, leaving them unable to access the housing market.
Tánaiste Simon Harris previously signalled an openness to the idea of revisiting apartment design standards, and it is understood that he again indicated they would be considered during a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party last week, alongside plans to overhaul the remit of the Land Development Agency.
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However, any move to revisit standards is likely to face some criticism.
Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at the UCD School of Architecture, said that previous efforts to address affordability through changing design standards had proven unsuccessful. She said there was a risk of “poorer quality housing for the very long term, for a very short-term balancing of the books”.
It comes off the back of moves last week to overhaul the rental sector, including expanding rent pressure zones nationally, allowing more frequent resetting of rents, and improving some tenant protections.
