Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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92. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether the housing crisis here is having a detrimental impact on skills availability and foreign direct investment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50389/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has made significant strides in improving our national infrastructure over recent decades, which is partly why overseas firms continue to locate here. While there is no doubt that we need to improve in some areas, I believe the levels of investment that we continue to attract here reflect the continuing confidence that international companies have in our economy and infrastructure.

The current difficulties we are experiencing in our housing market, and most particularly the insufficient national supply of quality homes and apartments, are well-documented. However, overseas firms – who my Department and the IDA regularly engage with about issues that affect their capacity to invest here – understand how much of a priority the Government has placed on addressing this problem. They know that we are working hard to increase supply and that the overall national trend is now one of steady progress and improvement.

The Government remains fully focused on doing everything it can to address the housing situation. That is why we published the ‘Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan’, which includes an array of measures to improve the availability of homes in this country. The primary objective is ensuring that people and families, across Ireland, have better access to quality and affordable housing. The work undertaken to improve housing also serves to reinforce our national infrastructure in terms of its capacity to accommodate further foreign direct investment (FDI).

Significant progress has already been made on the action plan. As reflected in the November Monthly Housing Activity Report, construction and housing supply are improving. There have been steady increases in the number of planning permissions, commencement notices, registrations and the availability of new houses, all of which will help alleviate pressures on housing supply. The launch of the Land Development Agency will also help to achieve greater stability in the housing market.

More broadly, we should not forget that the States Ireland competes with for FDI often have difficulties of their own. Thankfully, Ireland’s strengths in attracting mobile investment are well known in the global marketplace. Businesses continue to be attracted here because of our talented workforce, membership of the EU and pro-enterprise policy environment. These aspects of our value proposition remain strong and continue to position Ireland as a favoured location for FDI.