+ Business group calls on Government to double public housing investment in Budget 2022
+ Traffic congestion & Infrastructure rank second and third highest among business concerns
Tuesday 6th July: Housing is now the biggest challenge facing businesses in the Greater Dublin Area, with more than 7 in 10 businesses (71%) reporting it among their top three concerns in a recent Dublin Chamber survey. The business group has called on the Government to double public investment in housing construction in urban areas.
In Dublin Chamber’s latest Business Outlook Survey (Q2 2021), carried out amongst more than 300 companies and focusing on the Future of Cities, businesses were asked to identify the top three biggest challenges facing Dublin from a business perspective other than Covid-19.
The top three concerns were:
- Accommodating the city’s growing population with affordable housing (71%)
- Traffic Congestion (50%)
- Lack of city infrastructure (41%)
These concerns were echoed in the survey when Dublin Chamber asked businesses to identify which policy areas will have the greatest positive and negative impact on cities in the coming decade. City planning and infrastructure were identified by businesses as having both the greatest positive impact at 35% and the potential greatest negative impact at 36%.
Dublin Chamber’s Director of Public & International Affairs Aebhric Mc Gibney said: “We are calling on the Government to double public capital investment in housing, targeted in urban areas to deliver appropriate accommodation and ease pressure on the private market. The availability and affordability of accommodation remain the most immediate threat to cost competitiveness in the Greater Dublin Area. Businesses need decisive action to address the crisis through the construction of purpose-built affordable homes on a large scale in Dublin and other cities.”
Mr. Mc Gibney continued: “What is clear from these survey results is that what we are identifying as enterprise issues and areas of significant concern for businesses are not the traditional businesses issues. Businesses are increasingly concerned with the very make-up and fabric of the city and how it is being developed. If Dublin is to maintain its international competitiveness, and its reputation as a great place to live, study, visit and work, then it needs to tackle the housing and infrastructure challenges head-on.”
He continued: “As the policy conversation shifts from re-opening to recovery, we need to have a clear long-term strategy and plan in place for the future of our cities, and specifically for our city centres. Businesses clearly lack confidence in relation to the future development of the city, with many seeing City planning and infrastructure having almost an equal potential to have a positive and negative impact on the city. Policymakers, both local and national need to work harder to ensure the right policy approach when dealing with emerging and quickly changing policy trends.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor
Business Outlook Survey
Dublin Chamber's Business Outlook Survey is a quarterly business survey. Over 300 companies took part in the Q2 2021 survey that took place over a three-week period between the 10th of May and the 31st of May. For a full copy of the survey results click here.