Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department or the IDA have held meetings or had interactions with business or company regarding the possibility of multinationals providing housing in cities here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41104/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware of any such meetings or interactions between officials of my Department or the IDA with multinational firms in relation to this.

Regarding housing, the well-documented challenges we have faced in increasing our supply are complex and multifaceted. It is important to emphasise that these difficulties are not attributable to overseas firms or the jobs they have created here.

Housing remains an absolute priority for the Government and intensive work is continuing to provide solutions, both now and in the future. The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan – which includes a range of initiatives and actions aimed at increasing the supply of affordable and quality homes – is already producing results, especially in terms of completed dwellings. Work on the implementation of that Plan is continuing and the Government is doing everything it can to increase housing availability.

Overseas firms operating in Ireland are aware of the housing challenges we are facing. But they understand too how much of a priority this is for Government and what has been done to increase supply. It’s important to remember as well that many of the countries Ireland competes against for foreign direct investment have difficulties of their own when it comes to residential housing. That doesn’t diminish our own housing challenges – which we remain determined to address – but it does serve as a reminder that these are problems that many other States are also wrestling with.