Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I agree we need to strike a balance. The problem is the profits for commercial development so vastly outweigh the profits for residential development that we are not getting that balance. We agree there has to be a balance between high-quality grade-A office space and other commercial space, and good homes for people to live in. However, if a developer can make five to ten times more by building an office block than by building three-bedroom semi-detached houses, he will build the office block.

I have plenty of anecdotal evidence that developers are choosing not to develop residential because of the profits. On that basis would it not make sense for the Minister to commission a short report to look into the potential harm that the commercial property development bubble is causing?

See this speech in context