A Labour Senator has called for clarity on new relaxed rules surrounding height restrictions for housing which were introduced late last year.

The new height restrictions were launched in December 2018 by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

Senator Kevin Humphreys has called on Minister Murphy to shed more light on how these new rules apply to the Special Development Zones (SDZ).

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He said: "It is counter-intuitive for the Minister to propose less restrictive height limits if it causes such confusion as to allow people to mount legal challenges to proposed developments Dublin needs. 

"We are all aware of the desperate need for more housing. SDZs offer fast-tracked housing and office development. We cannot afford for long delays to SDZs while legal challenges are mounted due to this lack of clarity.

"This all seems somewhat typical of Fine Gael. They make the announcement of the new policy and seem to forget that those announcements have to take place in a wider planning process. Announcements for the sake of good PR seems to be the hallmark of this government," Sen Humphreys concluded.

(CM/JG)