Mr. Leo Clancy:

I will start. I am a member of the NCPC as a function of my role.

I am very aware of the statements on cost made by the council. I support them. It would be remiss of me to say we do not have concerns around all the input costs for workers because those costs go straight to the bottom line for employers. They are key factors for employers in terms of cost of labour and availability. As Deputy Louise O'Reilly said, they are also key factors for people locally who are looking for mobility within the country and for people who are coming from overseas. They are certainly issues for employers and areas about which we remain concerned.

There are regional and global issues in light of these factors. We are seeing inflation across the world. We are seeing housing challenges in most developed countries, particularly in urban centres. We are certainly not alone. There are counterbalancing factors, which mean that Ireland is still competitive as a business location. That is to the good. However, these are areas on which we need to continue to focus, both for the good of the workers and of the employers, so as to maintain their competitiveness. I will hand over to Mr. McElwee for a comment.