Labour Market
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

I would appreciate clarity on some specific points. The Minister of State said a new list will be published next month. I assume that means quotas will be allocated to various sectors. He also said that when deciding those quotas, the Department will give consideration to other factors including housing and access to services. What precisely does "take into account" mean? We know about the pressures, in particular on the housing market. We also know that the only way we are going to increasing housing demand is through having international workers.
There is a balance to be struck here. We know that in many areas there is a huge housing pressure. Some people who have come here on employment visas have ended up in desperate housing need and desperate housing conditions because their employers have not provided that or arranged that. In other areas, huge pressure has been put on the local private rental market because international workers have taken that up. Will the Minister of State clarify what exactly he means when he says "take account of"? How will that be a deciding factor in allocating quotas?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19