Housing

Apartment standards should be cut to boost affordability – property lobbyists

Builders should not have to build dual-aspect apartments, include balconies or add crèches, says Pat Farrell of Irish Institutional Property

Pat Farrell, chief executive of Irish Institutional Property: said other European countries ‘have prioritised affordability over size’ in apartment buildings. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Apartment sizes and standards, such as the need for balconies, crèches and lift shafts in new developments, should be cut to make housing more affordable, property lobbyists have told the government.

Pat Farrell, chief executive of Irish Institutional Property, has sent a report to Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing, outlining ways in which regulations should be changed. Farrell said other European countries have struggled with the affordability of apartments, but “have prioritised affordability over ...