Alan Kelly: Good quality housing must be affordable

Enforcement of common standards across the country will maintain standards but also mean citizens can realistically be in position to buy a place of their own, writes Alan Kelly

Given that I regard Gerard Howlin as one of the more reasonable commentators, I was surprised to see what I would regard as a somewhat emotionally driven Irish Examiner column last Wednesday on my role in upholding proper apartment standards.

It is true I am finalising national standards on apartments, but Mr Howlin appears to have “jumped the gun” (because I haven’t published them yet) and more curiously would seem to be advocating for standards of development that only the rich and famous can afford, and more importantly, which would condemn those on low incomes to a lifetime of saving for the chance to buy their own home.