The Government is telling a generation of young people that their future is living in a shed in the back of a garden, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne said:
“The Government’s ‘beds in sheds’ policy is pockmarked with a litany of flaws. There is no mechanism to prevent these sheds from becoming AirBnBs or short-term lets, nor is there an affordability clause to prevent rip-off rents.
“This half-baked plan, which lacks any proper planning and regulatory considerations, is a recipe for exploitation. There is no reason to believe that these spaces will not be used to charge vulnerable cohorts sky-high rents, just as we’re seeing across the rest of the rental sector.
“The Social Democrats and I support modular housing and modern methods of construction, but only when it’s done right, planned appropriately for communities and neighbourhoods, and has a positive impact on housing precarity.
“The issue with the Government’s policy regards planning, regulation and safeguards, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. The State has a responsibility to ensure accommodation is of a certain standard, affordability and quality, yet none of these assurances are built into its ‘beds in sheds’ policy.
“In particular, the Government has a duty to ensure that our most vulnerable, those who are elderly or living with a disability, are not further socially excluded by a not-fit-for-purpose policy of deregulating and reducing housing standards that allows a free-for-all surrounding temporary structures in back gardens.
“This policy presents real risks: as we saw with the introduction of emergency accommodation as a crisis response to an increase in homelessness, what is introduced as temporary ends up becoming a permanent feature of this Government’s approach to housing.
“This policy lacks ambition, compassion and is, simply put, no solution for our housing woes. Instead, the Government must immediately introduce a ban on no-fault evictions, the greatest cause of homelessness across the country, and pivot towards policies which will adequately address housing provision.
“The Social Democrats proposals of a Homes for Ireland State Savings Scheme, modular homes factories and a State construction company would finance and deliver affordable homes at the scale needed to dig ourselves out from this crisis.”
March 30th, 2026