People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has defended objecting to over 1,300 homes in his constituency in the last two years.
The Dun Laoghaire TD told the Irish Mirror that he had objected to a number of proposed homes, but that his issue was with the type of developments or the fact that they “breached county development guidelines”.
It comes just days after People Before Profit tabled a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
Records show that Mr Boyd Barrett lodged objections relating to five different housing developments in Dun Laoghaire between April 2021 and May 2022. The total number of units in these developments was 1,315.
Of the objections lodged, three related to height. Mr Boyd Barrett objected to plans for 147 apartments on Sallynoggin Road Lower in November 2021, as well as a 102-unit 13-storey apartment block in Dun Laoghaire.
The TD also raised concerns about height in relation to an application for 276 student accommodation units besides IADT in November 2021.
Also in November 2021, Mr Boyd Barrett sent a submission regarding 256 apartments in Loughlinstown. The development, which was subsequently scrapped, would have consisted of 105 one-beds, 145 two-beds and six three-bed units.
Most recently, in May 2022, he opposed a 534-unit build-to-rent scheme on Brennanstown Road.
Mr Boyd-Barrett told the Irish Mirror that he was not objecting to housing developments themselves, but the types of houses.
He also raised concerns that many of the developments allegedly breached county development plan guidelines or were Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs).
SHDs are developments that can receive fast-tracked planning permission.
“We opposed SHDs as the vast majority of them breach the democratically decided county development plan,” he said.
“In all of those cases, we stressed we had no difficulty with a housing development
“We were not opposing housing on the sites. In the vast majority of cases, it was a submission rather than an objection.
“They weren’t going to deliver the type of affordable housing that is needed.
“It was also the mix of housing. [In one development] we had a problem with the fact it was too many one bedrooms and not enough two and three bedrooms.”
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Fine Gael’s TD in Dun Laoghaire, accused Mr Boyd Barrett of “blocking” people getting homes in the area.
“It is frustrating to listen to Richard Boyd Barrett complain about lack of housing when in Dun Laoghaire he is responsible for objecting to 1,300 [units],” she said.
“Can he point to any private development that he has proactively supported?
“Is he interested in more homes of all kinds to meet the needs of people from all walks of life?
“Social homes are included in every development.
“Every time he puts in an objection, he is blocking an opportunity for someone to get a place to live.
"How can you put down a motion on housing when you're responsible for blocking so many different houses?"
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