Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is aware that adequate supply of quality, affordable housing to buy and rent in the right locations, is important for Ireland’s overall competitiveness in attracting foreign direct investment. This is not least because the link between the cost of housing and wage expectations means that developments in the residential property sector impact on our international competitiveness and on our ability to compete for mobile talent.

The Government is fully committed to increasing the supply of affordable and quality housing. That is why it has published the ‘Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan’ which includes financing measures, better use of existing homes, new construction and rental sector improvements. We are now one year into the plan and many key actions have been delivered or put in train, and, thankfully, it is clear from a range of housing related trends that the supply response is coming on stream.  All key indicators of construction activity show that residential construction is ramping up considerably. Planning permissions are up by almost 50% year on year and the ESRI’s latest commentary in October forecasts that house completions will reach 19,000 this year and 24,000 in 2018; on this basis, the Rebuilding Ireland target of 25,000 homes per year by 2020 will be met and quite likely exceeded.

These steps will serve to reinforce our national infrastructure in terms of its capacity to accommodate further FDI.

More long term the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) are developing the National Planning Framework (NPF). My Department's in-depth engagement in the development of the NPF over the last 18 months provides an example of efforts to attract foreign direct investment being considered in terms of wider capacity and policy to provide infrastructure and housing. The NPF is a critically important framework for the period to 2040 that will underpin Ireland’s future economic development.