A spotlight has been shone on the damage housing availability is doing to the economy by some of Ireland's small and medium businesses.

Oireachtas Committee held a hearing on the challenges facing small and medium enterprises. They heard from Chambers Ireland, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprise Association (ISME), and the Irish Exporters Association, which all raised attention to the the damage that is being caused to the economy by the lack of housing availability.

Speaking about yesterday's hearing, Sinn Féin representative Louise O'Reilly TD said: "The experts referred to the housing situation in rural areas being as concerning and difficult as urban areas, and explained to the Committee how the housing crisis is putting pressure on SMEs ability to maintain their current position or grow into the future.

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"Chambers Ireland, ISME, and the Irish Exporters Association all highlighted that the housing crisis is also increasing the cost of acquiring talent as SMEs and microbusinesses must pay a premium to attract talent given the cost and scarce availability of housing.

"For over a decade, Sinn Féin has highlighted that the housing crisis was damaging our economic competitiveness, and today's testimony from these business experts was an excoriation of government policy and failure in relation to housing.

"The criticism of government housing policy from Chambers Ireland, ISME, and the Irish Exporters Association comes on the back of recent criticism from Ibec and the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), with all organisations pointing out the damage the housing crisis is having on our economic competitiveness and productivity.

"This government, like its predecessors, is caught in an ideological quagmire in terms of housing policy, and only a change of government, and change of Housing Minister, will truly address the housing crisis for the betterment of society and the economy."