Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Despite what the Minister says, the World Bank has told us that of 190 economies, we are now flagging behind economies such as Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia and Macedonia. What are multinationals saying to the Minister when she goes on trade missions with regard to the challenges related to housing and our planning laws, for example? We saw the recent Athenry data centre debacle, which has really left us in a state of uncertainty. We know the Taoiseach got no joy from Tim Cook when he recently visited him in California. What is the Minister doing about planning laws? My party has published legislation relating to fast-tracking major IT infrastructural projects. What is the Minister doing about the provision of housing? I am sure multinationals raise policy decisions of Government with her. What are these companies telling the Minister and the Government with regard to these barriers to setting up, such as in Athenry or in Dublin where we have a shortage of residential units, and elsewhere around the country? What will the Minister do about it?

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