Opposition parties have criticised the Minister for Housing James Brown for pressing ahead with controversial planning changes which allow developers build smaller apartments despite the issue having been referred to the European Court of Justice.
Today, the Government published the National Planning Statement on Apartment Standards.
The statement contains changes to standards which mirror guidelines issued last July which were subject to judicial review proceedings and subsequently referred to the European Court of Justice.
Minister Browne said he was issuing today’s statement to “boost housing delivery” but he added it was “strictly without prejudice to the current legal proceedings”.
But Sinn Féin Housing Spokesman Eoin Ó Broin said the standards would result in “smaller and darker apartments”.
He added the Minister was “reissuing the inferior design standards” in the hope that “this will be less susceptible to successful legal challenges”.
Social Democrats Housing Spokesman Rory Hearne said: “It is very disappointing to see the Government is pushing ahead with its reduction in apartment size and standards.”
The original judicial review was taken by a number of councillors and the late former Irish Times journalist Frank McDonald.
