Former US president Donald Trump has said Ireland's housing crisis is a "good thing in one way" because "people want to live in Ireland".
Mr Trump made the comments in an interview with the Irish Independent during his recent visit to his resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare.
When journalist Niamh Horan asked him if he had any advice for the Government on the housing crisis given his real estate background, Mr Trump replied: “Do you mean ‘crisis’ by the fact that you don’t have housing?
"Well that’s a good thing in one way. That’s better than the other way. Because, you know, a lot of countries are having the opposite problem because nobody wants to live there."
Mr Trump added: "People want to live in Ireland... People are moving to Ireland. It’s a great place and you have some great leaders and some great people in politics. I know a lot of them.”
He described his Trump International Golf Links & Hotel as "one of the best pieces of property in Ireland".
Mr Trump also said Ireland has “something special. Ireland is hot".
As president, Mr Trump often spoke of his desire to bring foreign-based US companies back to the States, and he was less positive about the US multinationals in Ireland.
He said Ireland “has done one of the best jobs in taking business from the United States… and the United States should be somewhat ashamed of itself".
“But if you’re in Ireland you have to be very happy about it because you take so much away and a lot of people wonder — like, how does that happen? How does the United States allow it to happen. Do you know why? Because they are run by stupid people, OK?”
In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump also discussed subjects such as the influence of his father Fred Trump, criticism of his successor Joe Biden, and the civil trial in which he is accused of raping author E Jean Carroll.
