Interrogating the arguments for ‘small homes’ as a solution to the Irish housing ‘crisis’

From 2015 onwards, successive Irish governments have promoted the proliferation of smaller homes through a range of measures including reductions in minimum floor size requirements and the removal of qualitative design requirements.The promotion of small homes tends to be justified as being necessary to lower construction costs and improve affordability and to meet increased demand for smaller housing due to demographic factors; primarily, projections of declining household size.This paper outlines the development of local and national space standards in the Irish housing system before then explaining how the production of small homes has been promoted since 2015 through the issuing of Ministerial guidelines.The paper then critically interrogates the main justifications for the promotion of small homes and argues that the role of small homes as a potential solution to the Irish housing crisis is overstated.