Sinn Féin Senator Fintan Warfield has called for the Minister for Housing to immediately withdraw the Ministerial order that allows co-living projects to continue.
 
Speaking on the issue of co-living in the Seanad today, Senator Warfield said:
 
“I welcome An Bord Pleanála’s rejection of a co-living venture planned for Harold’s Cross. The judgement referred to how the developers did not even bother to follow the Government’s own guidelines relating to areas suitable for co-living.
 
“This signals the continuing race to the bottom in terms of standard of housing and associated facilities and services.

“Co-living is based on the expectation that people are happy to live in 12sqm of space – a car parking space – and pay €1,300 per month for the privilege.
 
“I am still concerned that a co-living project is planned for Fumbally Lane in the Liberties. The proposal is at the appeals stage.

“Co-living needs to go. Many of these projects are based on previous plans to build conventional apartment accommodation, and that is what we need in Dublin.
 
“Houses and apartments can still be built if co-living is rejected.
 
“We don’t have to wait on An Bord Pleanála’s next decision – Minister Darragh O’ Brien can outlaw co-living with the stroke of a pen.

“This needs to happen because there are up to 4000 planned co-living beds at various stages of the planning process and co-living is a completely unsuitable model as we continue to live with Covid-19.
 
“Co-living is the housing equivalent of a super spreader of Covid-19, and for this and many other reasons the coalition parties need to ban it now”.