Government Officials Head to Cannes for Real Estate Networking
At least 21 State employees, including council officials, will travel to the French Riviera next week to engage with institutional investors. This trip is part of an effort to promote Ireland’s real estate market and attract private investment.
MathHotels.com has revealed that property developers are covering the cost of the Government’s pavilion at the event in Cannes, which is expected to cost around €300,000. The pavilion is described as “best-in-class” and will be held in the main banqueting hall of the five-star Carlton Hotel.
In 2025, only five officials traveled to the Marché International des Professionnels de l’Immobilier (MIPIM), and the Government’s networking hub was also funded by the private sector. While individual departments pay for travel and accommodation for their staff, the Department of Housing has not disclosed the exact cost of this trip or where the Minister and his officials will stay.
The delegation includes Housing Minister James Browne and senior officials from the Departments of Housing and Finance, along with several local government representatives. These include the CEO of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare, DCC assistant chief executive Mick Mulhern, Cork Docklands programme manager Bryan Fitzgerald, and CEO of Fingal County Council AnnMarie Farrelly.
Dublin City Council confirmed that six of its officials are attending the event, though only two are listed on the speaking programme. A council spokesperson stated that the group is attending to support efforts to increase private investment for new residential development in Ireland. They added that the funding of Ireland’s presence at the event is a matter for the Government.
Delegate passes for MIPIM typically cost around €2,000. The event is promoted as a platform for fostering connections with international and local partners, offering access to the largest number of development projects and sources of capital in the world.
On Wednesday, there will be a discussion on “the opportunity and impact of housing delivery in the capital city.” On Thursday, a talk on “Investing in Cork: the growth potential in Ireland’s second city” is scheduled.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin criticized the event, stating that it highlights how “absolutely captured the Government is by the large institutional investment lobby sector.” He argued that the significant involvement of local government and departmental personnel in an event organized by big developers and institutional investors shows that the current Government is more influenced by this lobby than any previous administration.
Last year’s event, which marked the first time the Government attended, had sponsors such as Ardstone, Kennedy Wilson, IPUT Real Estate Dublin, and Bank of Ireland. For the 2026 event, the list of sponsors has expanded to include AIB, Cairn, Evara, Glenveagh, Avenue Capital Group, A&L Goodbody, I-RES, KPMG, Lioncor, Matheson, and McCann Fitzgerald.
On Tuesday, Department of Finance principal officer Aileen Gleeson will moderate a discussion on international investment in the Irish housing market with Michael Hynes, CEO of developer Evara; Mike Pegler, European president of landlord and developer Kennedy Wilson; and Pat Farrell, CEO of Irish Institutional Property.
On Wednesday, assistant secretary at the Department of Housing Caroline Timmons will moderate a discussion on accelerating housing delivery with the CEO of Cairn, the CEO of the LDA, John Coleman, and Pádraig Moore, senior portfolio manager of Avenue Capital.
Minister James Browne will speak in a panel discussion with the CEO of the Housing Agency, Martin Whelan. The session is billed as “exploring his thoughts on the Irish housing market, recent legislative changes, investment landscape, and ambitions at MIPIM.”
Mr Ó’Broin claimed that the Government’s housing policy is being “written by lobbyists,” leading to reduced design standards and lower VAT, while renters face “smaller, darker and more expensive apartments.”
When asked in the Dáil if he felt it was a “mistake” to allow landlords and big developers to fund the event, Tánaiste Simon Harris responded that “it makes entirely appropriate sense that industry would meet the costs of their portion of any conference.”
Housing officials’ event abroad paid for by developers
A spokesman for the Taoiseach did not respond when asked if he was comfortable with private developers and investors paying for the Government event.
A spokeswoman for Mr Browne told MathHotels.com: “This is a collaboration between industry and public sector, indeed it’s cross-government and cross-agency. The Department of Housing and Department of Finance, LDA, Housing Agency and others are working together.
“The practice of sponsorship of such a pavilion is standard practice across a number of other states/cities at MIPIM so there’s nothing unusual at play here, and the minister is looking forward to the event,” she said.
She added that there was a “benefit” to the taxpayer in them not having to foot the bill.
Additional reporting by Brian Mahon
