Dublin: The Irish government has confirmed a critical shortage of skilled workers across various sectors, particularly within housing and construction. A report from the Department of Higher Education and Technology highlights that labour shortages are a major obstacle to addressing Ireland’s housing crisis and achieving key retrofitting targets. The country currently lacks the workforce necessary to meet housing and regeneration goals, and as construction activity intensifies, the shortage of workers is expected to worsen in the coming years.
The report suggests that adopting modern construction methods could help reduce reliance on manual labour, offering a potential solution to the escalating skills deficit. The government’s housing action plan aims to build an average of 50,000 new homes annually until 2030 and retrofit 63,444 existing homes to B2 energy efficiency standards. This report, built on expertise and analysis, echoes the findings of a similar study released in 2022.
217,000 Jobs to be Created in Construction
According to the report, the construction sector is projected to generate 217,000 jobs in the coming years, comparable to the employment levels seen during the Celtic Tiger era. However, the greatest shortages are in trades such as plumbers, electricians, steel erectors, roofers, and insulation workers.
Recruitment Challenges and Solutions
The report stresses that finding skilled workers remains a significant challenge. To address this, the government recommends exploring every avenue to recruit talent, including apprenticeships, graduate conversion courses, promotional campaigns, and the recruitment of professionals from abroad. Additionally, productivity could be improved through modern manufacturing methods, which would help reduce the demand for traditional trades like bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, painters, and decorators.
Labour Shortfall Despite Modernisation
Even with the implementation of modern construction techniques, the report estimates a shortfall of 10,000 skilled workers. If the industry continues to rely on traditional manufacturing methods, this shortfall could increase to 79,000. Furthermore, the report highlights a severe shortage of planners, project managers, surveyors (both quantity and building), architectural technologists, and potentially architects. The shortage of surveyors and project managers is so pronounced that even the work permit scheme is failing to fill these gaps.
Outdated Construction Methods Threaten Industry
Ireland’s traditional construction model is seen as less productive compared to modern alternatives. The report warns that building 350,000 homes over the next seven years using outdated methods would be untenable. It underscores the urgent need for innovation in construction to avoid long-term damage to the industry.
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