The Irish government has issued new national guidelines that lower minimum apartment sizes and reduce requirements for dual-aspect units, communal facilities and open space. Housing Minister James Browne said the changes are intended to make apartment schemes economically viable after a sharp decline in construction last year. Under the rules, the smallest permissible studio falls to 32 square metres from 37, and only 25% of units must now be dual-aspect, down from as much as 50% in some areas. The Department of Housing estimates the package could trim €50,000 to €100,000 from the cost of building each apartment. Developers that already hold planning permission for roughly 57,000 apartments will be allowed to submit revised drawings rather than start a fresh approval process, a move the government says will speed projects to site. Shares in landlord Ires Reit rallied on the prospect of cheaper construction and improved supply. Opposition parties and professional bodies argue the revisions will lead to smaller, darker homes with fewer amenities. Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin called the standards a retreat from quality, while Dublin City Council has expressed “grave concern” that the capital could be left with sub-standard housing stock. The policy shift follows a 24% drop in apartment completions last year to around 30,000 units, well below the coalition’s goal of 50,000 homes annually through 2030. Browne said the government will use “every mechanism available” to restart building activity amid Ireland’s long-running housing shortage.