Taoiseach Micheál Martin has clashed in the Dáil with the Opposition over plans to revise apartment standards which are currently at the centre of a High Court action.
During Leader’s Questions in the Dáil on Wednesday, Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said that revisions to apartment planning standards sought to “rip up” the prior standards and “gut planning rules”.
She said the changes were “wrong-headed” and done without the required environmental assessment.
The Government introduced changes to apartment planning standards in July as part of an effort to reduce construction costs. Under the changes, more studio apartments can be built and there is a reduction in the minimum permitted size of apartments, as well as other technical rule changes.
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Critics say that the rule changes would lead to smaller and darker units, and questioned the extent to which they would reduce the cost of building new homes.
Mr Martin said he rejected “100 per cent” what he described as a “false narrative on the Government’s housing position”, accusing her of “vagueness” about her own proposals, saying Labour policy could be summed up as opposing anything that had been put forward by the Government.
He said Labour Party manifesto promises on housing were “bereft of any depth or substance” and accused it of being hostile to any private sector investment in housing. Ms Bacik said she rejected his characterisation of her party’s position and in turn accused him of creating a false narrative.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns accused the Government of recycling old ideas on apartment standards, which had not worked before. “I know, you know, we all know it isn’t going to work now.” Mr Martin again accused Ms Cairns of a plan without substance or depth.
A High Court challenge against the guidelines has been taken by Labour’s Darragh Moriarty, the Green Party’s David Healy and Dan Boyle, Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy and Irish Times contributor and former environment editor Frank McDonald.
Ms Bacik also criticised the government’s recently-published housing plan, describing it as “old milk in new bottles” without new measures on affordable home ownership or ambition on social housing, “just an open door for speculators and land hoarders”.
Those taking the case in the High Court claim that the guidelines should have been subject to an environmental impact assessment. They are seeking several orders, including one quashing the Minister for Housing James Browne’s apartment guidelines.
Earlier this week, the High Court was told that the Government intends to replace the July standards with a national planning statement, which would include an environmental impact assessment.
Referring to this, Ms Bacik said the Government had “backed down in the courts” with a “dramatic climbdown”.
According to a letter sent to the four councillors and Mr McDonald, the Minister proposes adopting a “precautionary approach” by carrying out an environmental impact assessment of the national planning statement to replace the existing guidelines.
The intention to do so is made without prejudice to the State’s position that an environmental impact assessment of the guidelines was not required, the court was told.
The State has indicated that it would continue to defend the High Court proceedings.
