Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that relaxing planning rules on ‘garden homes’ is not a solution to the housing crisis.

However, the Dublin Mid-West TD added that greater flexibility is required where homeowners are seeking to erect free-standing structures on their property to provide housing for family members.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Relaxing rules on ‘garden homes’ is not a solution to the housing crisis. The fact that government is examining whether to designate such structures as ‘exempted developments’ is a tacit admission of the failure of their housing plans.

“The fact that so many people are being forced to consider erecting expensive temporary structures in their back garden to house family members shows the depths to which the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael housing crisis has plunged.

“However the current rules on free standing residential structures in back gardens are too restrictive. Sinn Féin Councillors have long called for greater flexibility in such cases and have tried to amend City and County Development Plans to provide for such flexibility.

“Any such flexibility needs to be carefully considered. It should operate within the same parameters as existing exempted development guidelines for house extensions. It must be compliant with fire safety regulations.

“The government also needs to protect against unscrupulous landlords abusing any regulations to profit from substandard temporary accommodation in back gardens of existing private rental stock.

“Sinn Féin is urging the Minister of State responsible for planning, John Cummins, to work with the opposition prior to publishing any draft regulations.

“However, the real solution to the housing crisis is not more temporary accommodation but a dramatic increase in social, affordable and private for-purchase homes.

“Unfortunately, based on what we have seen from government so far, the radical reset of housing policy required to address the causes of the housing crisis is not on their agenda.”