Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has engaged with any leading proptech firms to bring about a digital revolution in the property sector; and if he will engage with Enterprise Ireland to support Irish proptech start-ups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9885/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Enterprise Ireland engages with the property technology (or ‘proptech’) sub-sector, with some 20 or so proptech companies on its books, as well as many more that are defined as ‘construction services’ companies.

The proptech sub-sector contains many start-up companies providing services, including real estate data driven decision platforms; enterprise-ready Client Relationship Management (CRM) specifically for contractors, product suppliers and construction professionals; and, sophisticated online platforms intended to revolutionise the private treaty sales process for commercial and residential property.

Enterprise Ireland offers a combination of financial supports for start-ups in this space, such as equity investment, development grants and non-financial supports such as capability building, engaging with clients in-market via EI’s overseas offices, connecting founding teams with potential investors and with strategic partners, and identifying business opportunities for clients. Further information in this regard can be accessed on the Enterprise Ireland’s website: www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/

In addition, Housing for All is also marshalling cross-government efforts to drive innovation and enhance productivity in construction sector. To this end, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) chairs the inter-departmental Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Leadership and Integration Group to support the coordination of initiatives to develop MMC, which incorporate a range of offsite manufacturing and innovative onsite techniques and provide alternatives to traditional building construction. The inter-departmental group, of which my Department is a key participant, coordinates initiatives to support innovation, public procurement, sustainability, housing and the education and skills agenda in the construction industry, including:

launching the Construct Innovate Technology Centre, funded by DETE through Enterprise Ireland;

establishing a Demonstration Park for MMC at the Mount Lucas National Construction Training Centre, operated by Laois Offaly Enterprise and Training Board, in conjunction with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and SOLAS; and

supporting the development and use of MMC to deliver social housing.