Planning guidelines 'allow for very tall buildings' to solve housing crisis, says Minister
The Housing Minister has said a change to planning guidelines on the height of buildings will help with the housing crisis.
Eoghan Murphy has acknowledged that thousands of new apartments are needed to tackle the issue.
Latest CSO figures show an increase in the number of home completions in the first quarter of the year.
The guidelines on height and density were amended last year.
Minister Eoghan Murphy says the measure is aimed to improve housing availability across the country.
He said: "While last year we changed the planning guidelines so people could build a lot higher and also increased the densities as well, not just in city centres and not just in Dublin but also around transport corridors too.
"What we are trying to do is, yes, allow for very tall buildings that can have many functions from retail to commercial to residential. But actually it's about increasing the shoulder height across the city, that's how you really achieve density."
Earlier: Co-living needs to be part of solution to solve housing crisis, says Minister
The Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has insisted that co-living is part of the solution to addressing supply issues.
The model provides en-suite bedrooms with shared, communal living areas and is similar to student accommodation but aimed at young, working professionals.
New figures from the CSO this week show a 23% increase in home completions in the first quarter of this year.
However, opposition politicians have been highly critical of the government's policies.
Minister Murphy says we need to start building the right type of homes.
"The challenge we face at the moment, as supply is increasing, is becoming more of a question of not increasing supply, which is happening now quite dramatically, but what we're building and where," he said.
"It becomes more of a planning issue. So as we increase supply, we have to make sure we're building the right types of homes.
"That means student accommodation, it also means accommodation for the elderly. It also means places to rent.
So what we're doing with co-living is bringing around another option, another choice for people, if they choose to go for it.
"In the guidelines that we have published, it's about bringing forward apartments with some co-living space as well," he said.
