Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have been here before in terms of competitiveness and the loss thereof as the economy expands and grows quite rapidly. Based on GDP, GNP or any other metrics, there is huge activity in the economy. Key areas in the economy have already reached full employment and we will soon have to address that issue by attracting people into the country. One of the greatest barriers to that will be the costs of housing, childcare, insurance and transport. These and many other areas diminish our ability to attract key labour into the market in order to ensure we remain competitive in key areas of the economy.

While I welcome the Minister's statement that there is no complacency on this issue, proactive policies are needed to address areas where significant competitiveness problems will arise. I refer, for example, to the lack of housing and the inability to address this fundamental issue, not only in the broader context of how society is structured but also in terms of competitiveness. We must remain attractive to foreign direct investment and foreign employees to ensure exports are competitive internationally.

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