An aviation company has purchased property in order to house its staff in response to the housing and rental crisis.
Shannon-based Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) will offer its employees the opportunity of rental accommodation in a purpose-built co-living space in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, on the site of the former Jamaica Inn hostel.
The move comes after Ryanair purchased 25 homes in a new estate at Fosterstown Place in Swords, Co Dublin, to house cabin crew.
The development, which AAG has purchased, is close to its centre of operations at Shannon Airport. It will consist of approximately 36 en-suite bedrooms for AAG employees with "shared relaxation areas and living rooms, communal kitchens and garden areas."
An AAG spokesperson said the firm had experienced "significant challenges in recruiting staff due to the lack of available accommodation in the greater Shannon area."
They believe the Sixmilebridge development will alleviate the pressure on new hires to find housing.
Chairman of AAG Patrick Jordan said: "Like all employers, I and the AAG leadership team have observed and shared the journey that our people take to find suitable housing and accommodation.
"In the current market, that has proved to be a somewhat frustrating experience, with a scarcity of accommodation and high rent levels.
"In providing rental accommodation for our new hires who need somewhere to live, we are giving our people the best possible chance to settle into their new roles right away and familiarise themselves with more long-term housing options. We are excited to be able to make this positive contribution and assist with accommodation.
Chief executive at AAG Shane O'Neill added: "Employees everywhere are struggling to find accommodation and this is our way of assisting our employees to find their feet as they start into their roles. The accommodation is not intended as a long-term solution but will prove invaluable in its role in giving employees a housing option when they start."
The Taoiseach has said he has no issue with companies purchasing housing for their staff.
Mr Varadkar said: "We are building over 30,000 new homes now every year. If you think about it, that’s 70,000, 80,000 or 90,000 bedrooms every year so we are finally seeing housing being built on scale.
"We want to scale that up this year and next year as well because we do have a rising population and family sizes are getting smaller, so we need more housing and we are making progress.
"In relation to Ryanair specifically, I don’t think it is the worst thing that a company would buy accommodation for their staff.
"It’s not the first time this has happened, it has been happening for centuries. I think it is different to an investment fund, for example, buying up houses that could be bought by families."
