Dublin City councillors last night unanimously approved new guidelines that would significantly increase the size of new apartments in the capital.
The proposals are likely to become compulsory for developers within two months.
The draft guidelines, "Achieving Livable, Sustainable New Apartment Homes for Dublin City," were published in May and approved last night by councillors.
They would see the average new apartment increase in size by 25 per cent, with almost half of all apartment complexes being at least 80sq m in size to accommodate a family.
Guidelines as to the size of kitchens, bedrooms and public space outside have also been drawn up by the council. The average height of apartment ceilings will rise from 2.3 to 2.7 metres.
An amendment last night that would see less stringent floor sizes in small developments of five apartments or fewer on existing sites in the city centre was included.
There will now be a four-week consultation period where submissions will be invited from interested parties, including developers. The final decision is likely to come at the November meeting of the council.