Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister knows, I have been in construction all my life, so I know the industry inside out. One issue with much construction at the moment that would help businesspeople relates to the planning laws that need to be changed or amended to allow business owners to build accommodation for their staff, which would encourage their staff to stay within the business they are in and which would allow businesspeople to future-proof their business and build apartments or housing for their staff. The current laws, however, mean that if they build housing for their staff, they have to give a certain amount back to social housing, which is causing a problem for some industries.

One person is looking to build 20 apartments to house people within his business but he cannot do it under the planning laws because, given the location of the property, adjacent to his business, it would not do for social housing. The company Eli Lilly is coming to Limerick and spending €500 million on the start-up stage, which will end up with a total of €1.3 billion invested in Limerick. Its biggest issue, however, relates to housing and getting houses for people to work there, yet in Croom, I have 130 or 140 houses that could be built but that have been held up by Irish Water for the past two years. Within ten minutes' drive of Limerick, I have 130 houses that, if built, would help the social housing aspect and the industry we want so badly within Limerick.

Will the Minister look at amending the laws relating to businesses that want to provide housing for their own staff such that they will not have to give back to social housing? That is the one thing I am asking. Can they be amended to allow for businesses to build apartments, if they wish, for their staff only, without having to contribute to the social housing sector?

See this speech in context