What we have is a back-to-the-future housing minister, repeating the mistakes of the past, who is doomed to fail
The Housing Minister’s big idea to increase housing supply is to dust off housing policies implemented by his predecessors that have demonstrably failed, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
“Today the Minister has announced plans to slash apartment sizes so they become glorified shoeboxes. This, he claims, will drive down costs.
“Regrettably for the Minister, we have all heard this – not once, but twice before. In 2015, then housing Minister Alan Kelly slashed apartment sizes to drive down costs. At the time, for example, the minimum size of studio apartments was reduced to 40sqm. The measure failed.
“In 2018, then Minister Eoghan Murphy slashed apartment sizes even further, ostensibly to drive down costs. The minimum size of a studio apartment was reduced to 37sqm. Again, this failed.
“Fast forward to 2025 and we have a housing minister, bereft of any ideas, dusting off policy measures that have already demonstrably failed. This time, we are told that reducing the minimum size of a studio apartment to 32sqm is the magic number. This too will fail.
“Continually reducing apartment sizes, and slashing guidelines, will do one thing – increase developer profits. It will not bring down the cost of housing and it will not encourage more individuals and families to live in apartments.
“The Housing Commission report said we needed a radical reset of housing policy to solve the housing disaster. Instead, what we have is a back-to-the-future housing minister, repeating the mistakes of the past, who is doomed to fail.
“From removing rent caps to now reducing standards this government is making our housing more unaffordable, and of lower standard, all for investment funds. We need affordable homes not more unaffordable build-to-rent shoeboxes.”