Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
759. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 188 and 189 of 6 July 2022, the number of Ireland Immigrant Investor Program applications that have been approved for social housing and healthcare respectively from the 800-figure cited in her previous reply. [38065/22]
View answer760. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 188 and 189 of 6 July 2022, the number of Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme applicants who invested in social housing and healthcare respectively since the programme was established, without publishing the details of the persons or companies involved in tabular form. [38066/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 759 and 760 together.
The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced by Government Decision in April 2012, to encourage inward investment and to create business and employment opportunities in the State. The Programme was introduced at a time when Ireland was going through a very significant economic downturn and Departments were tasked with initiating innovative programmes to attract investment and create employment as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest.
The criteria applied when assessing applications under the IIP is set out in the guidance published on my Department's immigration website at: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-live-in-ireland/i-want-to-invest-in-ireland/.
IIP applications for investment in social housing and healthcare is facilitated through the Enterprise and Investment Fund options to the IIP scheme.
I can confirm that approximately 400 applications have been approved for both social housing and healthcare investment respectively. It should also be noted that there may also be a social housing or healthcare dimension to some of the Investment Funds that IIP applicants invest in and such applicants are not included in the aforementioned figures.
Therefore, my Department is unable to provide a precise number of applications specifically for social housing and healthcare. This number may change where applicants, for a variety of reasons and subsequent to the approval of their initial IIP application, may apply to transfer their investment to a different IIP project or scheme or where alternative projects, in line with the IIP published criteria, are commenced as determined by the Investment Fund Manager.
