Richard Boyd Barrett: Developer Turns Social Housing into Hotel
Richard Boyd Barrett accused a Celtic Tiger developer of converting planned residential units in Dun Laoghaire into holiday accommodation listed on Booking.com, calling the situation a planning breach and "an absolute scandal". He said his campaign for social and affordable housing on the site was ignored and urged enforcement of planning laws.
He said a development in Dun Laoghaire, originally intended as about 200 units for people to live in, is now bookable on Booking.com as holiday accommodation after the developer "turned it into a hotel" — a breach he says should be enforced against.
He argued this case illustrates whose interests are prioritised in society and contributes to the housing crisis, contending the site should be providing affordable accommodation for ordinary working people rather than short-term lets.
He reported the developer is charging more than €200 a night for rooms that amount to a fold-out bed and "a room the size of a disability car parking space" with shared facilities, calling that practice an absolute scandal.
He said he and his colleagues campaigned for social and affordable housing on the site but were ignored and called on authorities to act. The minister responded that he was not aware of the specific site, said the government aimed to step change social and affordable housing provision, and noted 12,000 social homes were delivered last year, about 8,000 of them newly built.
The minister said planners and local authorities should deal with alleged fundamental breaches of planning law and that enforcement is a matter for the local authority to pursue.
Richard Boyd Barrett began by thanking staff, noting that while he may clash with the government, staff remained receptive and helpful throughout the process.
Allegation of planning breach
He said a development in Dun Laoghaire, originally intended as about 200 units for people to live in, is now bookable on Booking.com as holiday accommodation after the developer "turned it into a hotel" — a breach he says should be enforced against.
Impact on housing supply
He argued this case illustrates whose interests are prioritised in society and contributes to the housing crisis, contending the site should be providing affordable accommodation for ordinary working people rather than short-term lets.
Conditions and pricing
He reported the developer is charging more than €200 a night for rooms that amount to a fold-out bed and "a room the size of a disability car parking space" with shared facilities, calling that practice an absolute scandal.
Calls for enforcement and government record
He said he and his colleagues campaigned for social and affordable housing on the site but were ignored and called on authorities to act. The minister responded that he was not aware of the specific site, said the government aimed to step change social and affordable housing provision, and noted 12,000 social homes were delivered last year, about 8,000 of them newly built.
Responsibility for planning enforcement
The minister said planners and local authorities should deal with alleged fundamental breaches of planning law and that enforcement is a matter for the local authority to pursue.
Acknowledgement of staff
Richard Boyd Barrett began by thanking staff, noting that while he may clash with the government, staff remained receptive and helpful throughout the process.
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Transcript
I also just thank the staff as it all comes to an end. We might be banging our head off a brick wall with the government but we're always pushing an open door with all the staff in here. Here's a scandal for you that is illustrative of what Deputy Smith was talking about, about whose interests get prioritised in our society and why we have a housing crisis. If you go on Booking.com now for niche living in Dun Laoghaire built by a Celtic Tiger developer for what was supposed to be 200 units for people to live in, you can now book it on Booking.com, a breach of the planning, which we've called for enforcement on, as holiday accommodation, they turned it into a hotel. We campaigned to get social and affordable housing on that site, we were ignored, but a Celtic Tiger developer is now charging more than €200 a night on Booking.com, adding to thousands and thousands. Do you know what you get for that? A fold out bed and a room the size of a disability car parking space and shared facilities in the area. It's an absolute scandal. This is one of the people who helped crash this economy and leave us with the legacy of the housing crisis. Why has that been allowed to happen under your remit? The same people who crashed this economy because of greed over property, doing it again on a site that should be providing accommodation that is affordable for ordinary working people in this country. First of all, I'm not aware of the specific site, but I will say this, in my view, we were determined at the beginning of this government to step change the number of social houses that would be built in the country and affordable homes. We have done that compared to what was done in the previous number of years. As I said earlier, 12,000 social homes delivered last year. 8,000 and odd were newly built. We need to get to a situation where we are building more than that and acquiring state land. The planners and the local authorities should deal with a situation like that. If you're saying there's a fundamental breach of the planning laws, it should be dealt with. Planning laws should be enforced. That's a matter for the local authority, and it should get on and do it. Well-known name, well-known name.