Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. My colleague, Ronan Lyons of Daft.ie, states the problem is the construction industry in Ireland still operates at a higher cost than does its counterpart in Germany. In effect, what one is trying to do, after a massive decline in income, is to make this product affordable. Do the witnesses have views on whether this is because the construction industry had a strong political say in the past or because it was bailed out repeatedly? Why is it not yet competitive?