The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has released its Budget 2024 submission, which insists that sustained government investment and progressive tax and workforce policies are needed to enable the construction industry to deliver on Ireland's ambitious development targets.
Key points from the CIF Pre-Budget submission:
Read the Construction Industry Federation’s Budget 2024 submission.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
New data reveals Ireland's construction sector slowed considerably in August, posting the weakest activity levels this year. The decline was driven by plunging commercial construction.
The latest Construction PMI dropped to 44.9 in August, well below the 50 mark indicating contraction. The reading was even lower than August 2021's 46.9, highlighting reversed momentum.
Construction PMI stands for Purchasing Managers' Index for the construction sector. It is a key monthly economic indicator that provides insights into the performance and health of the construction industry.
Commercial building showed the steepest fall after consistent expansion in early 2022. This slowdown may benefit the market however, curbing risks of oversupply and rising vacancy rates.
The residential construction slowdown also continued, with activity still below 2021 levels and remaining in decline.
While the downturn deepens, input cost inflation has reaccelerated after two years of relief, squeezing already thin margins. This suggests recent energy price hikes are now impacting the industry.
On a positive note, most Irish construction firms remain optimistic, hiring more staff for the eighth straight month. But with project delays likely amidst the downturn, resilience will be tested.
The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland is hosting a webinar World Green Building Week: Introduction to Low Carbon Building Materials and MMC on Tues, 12th Sept, 1-2pm.
The SCSI is supporting World Green Building Week from the 11th – 15th September with an online series of Sustainability focussed cpd’s. The second event in the series will look at Introduction to Low Carbon Building Materials and MMC.
Low carbon building materials and MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) are two key ways to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. This one hour CPD will introduce you to these two topics and discuss their benefits and challenges.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
New data from Ireland's Central Statistics Office reveals a contraction in construction production during the second quarter of 2023.
On a quarterly basis, overall construction output fell 3.3% from Q1 to Q2 this year. Annually, production also declined 2.1% compared to Q2 of 2022.
By sector, civil engineering saw a slight 5.8% uptick versus Q1 2022. However, residential building dropped 2.3% quarterly while non-residential building declined 3.8%.
The annual view shows ongoing struggles for residential and non-residential activity. Residential building slid 10.3% year-on-year and non-residential dipped 4% annually.
Again, civil engineering was the outlier, registering a sizable 22.4% annual boost in production volume.
While civil engineering remains robust, the latest industry-wide figures from Ireland's statistics authority reflect a construction sector grappling with slowed activity and output overall.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
The BIM Coordinators Summit 2023 is taking place 06 Sept, 08:30 – 07 Sept, 18:00 in Dublin's RDS.
Live @ RDS Dublin, Ireland + Virtual. Meet and share knowledge with the BIM Heroes of the AEC Industry. A celebration of excellence and digital innovation in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.
Key Topics to be Discussed - Information Management for...
Virtual Stages 6th September
Stage 1 – Clients (Appointing Parties)
Stage 2 – Planning
Stage 3 - Information Management for Designers (Appointed Parties)
Stage 4 - Information Management for Contractors (Appointed Parties)
Stage 5 - Information Management for Operators/Asset Managers (Digital Twins)
Stage 6 – Data Governance(model checking, compliance, “golden thread”)
Stage 7 – Technology, Interoperability & Standards
Stage 8 – Education, Competency & Research
Stage 9 - Metaverse(AR/VR/XR, Web3, Blockchain
Stage 10 - Connected Platforms
Lounge 1 - Lifecycle BIM
Lounge 2 - NETZero
Live Stages 7th September
Stage 1 – Information Management for Clients (Appointing Parties)
Stage 2 – Strategic Project Planning
Stage 3 - Information Management for Designers (Appointed Parties)
Stage 4 - Information Management for Contractors (Appointed Parties)
Stage 5 - Information Management for Operators/Asset Managers (Digital Twins)
Stage 6 – Data Governance(model checking, compliance, “golden thread”)
Stage 7 – Technology, Interoperability & Standards
Stage 8 – Education, Competency & Research
Stage 9 - Metaverse(AR/VR/XR, Web3, Blockchain
Stage 10 - Connected Platforms
Lounge 1 - Technology Lounge
Lounge 2 - NETZero Lounge
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
Positive growth in construction sector continues as over a third of construction companies experienced an increase in turnover in Quarter 2 (34%) but 77% of companies cite access to skilled labour as their top concern, according to the Construction Industry Federation’s Quarter 2 Economic Outlook Survey.
The survey of 210 construction companies found that:
Hubert Fitzpatrick, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation said:
“Early data for 2023 points to positive growth in the construction sector but building and construction investment has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. With the economy now at full employment, it is more important than ever that budgetary policy continues to address capacity constraints and deliverability issues, principally in the planning and procurement systems to ensure that the country can meet the infrastructure needs of a growing population.
“Public investment under the NDP 2030 will remain an important stabiliser for construction demand and employment. A unified approach that focuses on infrastructural delivery, education and skills policy is needed to ensure continued growth in productivity in construction.
“Access to a skilled workforce remains a concern in a competitive employment market for construction and other sectors. Government and industry are working together to increase pathways into construction and to attract more workers from Ireland and overseas, while upskilling the current labour force to meet new demands and technologies.”
Read the CIF Q2 Economic Outlook.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
A recent report from Ireland's Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science outlines the country's construction skills gap and proposes solutions to promote careers in the sector by meeting Ireland's construction skills needs.
The analysis estimates that 50,831 new workers will be needed in construction occupations between 2023-2030 in order to meet Ireland's housing and retrofitting targets under the Housing for All and National Retrofit Plan.
The demand is particularly high for new crafts workers like electricians, plumbers and carpenters, with 30,000 workers required. However, apprenticeship registrations in these trades fell during the pandemic, creating a skills shortfall.
The report highlights the significant gender imbalance in Ireland's construction industry workforce. Only around 10% of the construction workforce are women. Promotional campaigns aimed at females, especially students, will be key to addressing this issue.
Strategies are proposed to reposition construction as an attractive, dynamic career option through initiatives focused on training, recruitment and marketing. There is a need to highlight emerging career paths in areas like offsite manufacturing, technology and sustainability.
Schools outreach to educate guidance counselors and students on career options is recommended. Employers also need to be encouraged to offer more apprenticeships and work placements. The aim is to showcase the diverse roles and high demand for skills.
The Industry Capability Group will receive biannual updates on the promotion plans and skills gap analysis. A Delivery Oversight Group may also be established to coordinate and monitor implementation.
Meeting Ireland's construction industry goals will require drawing more young people into the sector. This report provides a blueprint for promoting construction as an exciting career path with strong future growth and opportunities.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has published its monthly data on the number of Commencements Notices (residential construction starts) for July 2023.
The data show Commencement Notices for 2,985 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in July 2023. This is an increase of 22.4% on the number of new homes commenced in the same month last year (2,438 units).
The strong uptick in commencements this year has continued and 18,546 homes have been commenced in the first seven months of 2023. This is an 11.8% increase on the same period last year.
The full commencement data set can be accessed at: Construction Activity Statistics
An additional funding of almost €16 million for repairs and improvement works on our rural roads and laneways has been announced.
The funding, under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), will support the continued improvement of non-public roads and lanes that are not normally maintained by local authorities.
Such roads represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural residents - providing access to homes, farms and businesses, as well as outdoor amenities such as our lakes, rivers or beaches.
The funding is more than double the allocation provided last year, and will allow local authorities to address the backlog of applications that they currently face.
The announcement means that almost €30 million has been allocated under the Local Improvement Scheme this year alone.
And almost €130 million has been invested through LIS since the scheme was re-introduced in 2017.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said:
“I’m very pleased today to announce a further €16 million in funding to repair and upgrade hundreds of rural roads and laneways in towns and villages right across Rural Ireland. Good roads are absolutely vital for our rural communities and this record investment under the Local Improvement Scheme will make a huge difference in terms of access and connectivity. We are all familiar with the roads and laneways within our own communities that are full of potholes and in desperate need of repair. The funding being delivered under this scheme will help address this – benefitting so many of our families, businesses and in particular our farmers.
Minister Humphreys continued:
“As someone who grew up on a farm myself, I know all too well what it is like when a milk truck cannot gain access to collect the milk. I know too how poor quality roads in rural Ireland can negatively impact on families and businesses. That’s why the Local Improvement Scheme was re-introduced in 2017 by my predecessor and colleague, Michael Ring. Since its re-introduction, over €130 million has been invested in rural communities the length and breadth of Rural Ireland. This funding is all about making peoples’ lives that bit easier and ensuring we have good access to homes, farms, businesses and local amenities.
Minister Humphreys added:
“This additional tranche of €16 million in funding that I am announcing is on top of the €12.5 million that I allocated earlier this year. The scale of this investment is a clear example of Government’s commitment to supporting our rural communities through our five year rural development strategy, ‘Our Rural Future’. Since the Local Improvement Scheme was re-introduced in 2017, almost 4,000 roads have been funded for repair works. This has made a real difference to the lives of over 16,000 landowners and residents in rural Ireland, and many more visitors. I acknowledge that there is strong demand for this funding in many parts of the country with some local authorities having significant levels of applications on hand. And so, I am strongly encouraging these councils to utilise the funding announced today, and complete the repair works on the selected roads as soon as possible in consultation with residents and landowners.”
Construction Jobs Expo is returning to Dublin in Spring 2024!
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
Construction Jobs Expo is a jobs and recruitment event for the construction and engineering sectors.
We are delighted to announce that the Construction Jobs Expo is returning to Dublin in Spring 2024!
This careers fair will take place on Saturday, 18th May (10am-4pm) at the RDS. This careers fair will be dedicated to the construction sector and will feature hundreds of active job opportunities . Construction Jobs Expo is the only careers exhibition of its type to feature FREE ADMISSION.
What can you expect at Construction Jobs Expo ?
Agenda Stage
Construction Jobs Expo's Agenda Stage will host talks on a variety of topics including jobseeking skills such as using social media to land your dream job and interview techniques as well as a CV writing workshop. Other seminars include talks by industry insiders on a variety of career topics.
Looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Browse through our diverse range of courses below. Whether you're eager to become an Engineer, Estimator or Electrician, there's plenty of study options for the sector on Courses.ie.
Construction Jobs Expo is a jobs and recruitment event for the construction and engineering sectors.
