As we approach the Government’s 2025 budget statement, September presents an important time in which the federation is fully focused on highlighting the needs of the industry.
Our budget submission, presented to Government, sets out the industry’s recommendations under four key themes:
• Infrastructure and regional development
• Housing and planning
• Green and digital transition
• Cultivating people, skills and capacity
Ireland is experiencing a period of rapid growth, with the population expected to reach over 6.106 million people by 2040.
Last year, the population grew by 3.5 per cent according to the European Commission, an historic high and the greatest increase of any European country.
We are breaking records. People are Ireland’s most valuable asset, and it is essential that our infrastructure and housing developments keep pace with their needs.
Ireland’s success and the wellbeing of its citizens relies on the crucial development of balanced, high-quality infrastructure in key sectors like water, energy, roads and transportation.
This is vital for enabling an increase in housing supply and sustaining economic competitiveness and jobs.
Though it may be a familiar phrase, we are truly shaping the future of Ireland as the country undergoes this period of significant growth.
Achieving these goals requires an efficient planning system and a well-defined pipeline of projects to help the industry scale up and invest in the necessary resources.
This edition is all about the future of the industry, the young people who will fly the flag for construction into the years ahead and the many opportunities for continued professional development.
Our recently released Quarter Two Construction Outlook survey cited access to skilled labour as the top industry concern, so it is vitally important that we are continually showcasing the benefits of working in such a high-demand, dynamic industry.
Construction is no different to other sectors in facing a recruitment challenge in a tight labour market.
Despite this, our survey of 231 members showed a healthy forecast for the sector with year on year increases in turnover and employment.
We are confident that we can attract and retain talented workers, but we must have surety and sightline on a pipeline of shovel-ready projects in order to expand the workforce.
The industry is particularly concerned with the projected levels of capital budget allocations to Uisce Éireann, which will not be adequate to address population growth, housing and FDI.
In 2024, CIF members are seeing their projects cancelled, curtailed or delayed across a swathe of Uisce Éireann investment programmes.
CIF members are telling us that they are realigning their order books to other clients, who have stronger and more certain pipelines for work both in Ireland and internationally.
The certainty and visibility of Uisce Éireann’s pipeline of projects is incredibly important for supporting effective business planning, investment and allocation of scare resources by contractors and operators.
This is a key challenge being addressed by CIF’s Water Services Operators Group, profiled inside. We have written to Government to outline our concerns and the need for increased capital investment in Budget 2025.
A dependable project pipeline is also of prime importance to our newest association, Smart Off-site, which represents companies to advance off-site manufacturing in construction, and offers the chance to broaden the talent pool in areas such as digital modelling. You can read more about Smart Off-site on page 26.
CIF is fortunate to be led by a large network of determined construction companies across diverse disciplines that voice our collective vision for a thriving sector and country to government and our many stakeholders.
Together, we are creating the conditions for a thriving future workforce, one that is strong, diverse, and empowered to drive excellence across the construction industry for generations to come.
