Ireland has launched a major push for international property investment at MIPIM 2026, (Marché International des Professionnels de l’Immobilier) with Housing Minister James Browne leading a delegation to the annual conference in Cannes.
“Ireland is open for business as an attractive venue for investment in new homes,” Mr Browne told delegates at the event.
The pitch comes as Ireland implements its new five-year housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, which sets targets including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 “Starter Homes” for first-time buyers.
“This is a floor, not a ceiling,” Mr Browne said of the targets.
“To achieve this increased supply, we need to partner with private capital to deliver housing of all types and tenures.”
The minister acknowledged the competitive global market for development capital, positioning Ireland’s economic fundamentals as a key drawcard for investors.
“The strong fundamentals of the Irish economy give us confidence that there is a bright future for a collaborative approach to scaling up the delivery of housing, public and private,” he said.
“We have ready and able partners in the development and investment space, who are looking to scale up.”
Ireland’s MIPIM presence
The Irish Government explained delegation has established a dedicated pavilion at MIPIM hosting panel discussions and information sessions aimed at international investors, funders and developers.
The effort is coordinated by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage alongside the Department of Finance, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, and the Housing Agency.
Deloitte Ireland, which last year created a division to specialise in real estate mergers and acquisitions, had more than 20 investor meetings at Cannes. The firm is working with international colleagues to bring new capital to Ireland’s private rental market.
“We have started to see a reinvigorated appetite from international institutional investors,” said Dessie Kilkenny, Deloitte’s managing director of real estate told The Times.
MIPIM attracts over 20,000 delegates representing an estimated €4 trillion in assets under management, making it one of the property industry’s premier international events.
While Ireland’s housing challenges differ from Australia’s, the scale of government-backed investment attraction efforts offers a window into how other markets are competing for development capital in a constrained global environment.
The emphasis on “long-term” partnerships and “sustainable housing supply” also reflects a shift in policy language that’s becoming increasingly common across developed markets grappling with affordability concerns.
