928. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a summary on the skills gaps identified in the construction sector; and the number of new construction workers needed to meet housing, social housing and infrastructure targets, by category of construction worker, in tabular form. [53381/26]
Topics / Construction Industry
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsConstruction Industry
76 questions from 28 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 14 July 2026.
76
questions
73 written, 3 oral
28
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
8
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 2 |
| March 2025 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 10 |
| June 2025 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 6 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 16 |
| December 2025 | 8 |
| January 2026 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 8 |
| March 2026 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 2 |
| June 2026 | 4 |
| July 2026 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
-
21
-
6
-
6
-
5
-
4
-
3
-
3
-
3
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
929. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of any costs modelled by his Department for the training of new construction workers, including costs currently borne by the trainee themselves, the State, and any employer or sponsor; the breakdown of the approximate full-year cost of training in construction occupations, with the years …
930. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated unit cost of training new construction workers, broken down by category of construction worker, in the event all training costs were taken on by the State. [53383/26]
304. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of persons employed in Ireland in high tech construction; the way in which that sector is defined; and the contribution that this sector makes to the Irish economy. [51183/26]
139. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail his Department’s plans to address construction labour force shortfalls and the impact that will have on housing delivery; if he will consider a State construction company to increase to build public construction capacity to ensure Ireland has the workers needed to directly deliver affordable housing…
659. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the extension to the fuel subsidy support scheme be open to the construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49433/26]
203. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment given that a greater proportion of data jobs related to data centres are related to construction (9,356 construction jobs compared to 7,636 additional operational jobs from 2010 to 2024), if the demand for construction roles related to data centres is being considered in the context of constructions skills needed for other infrastr…
1033. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if studies have been carried out as to the demographic profile of those engaged in construction in Ireland; if he has concerns around the shortage of young people going into construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45145/26]
1034. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline any programmes to encourage young people into careers in construction. [45146/26]
77. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current status of the Government's proposed Circularity Roadmap for the Construction Sector; when it is proposed to publish it; if it will set out regulations underpinned by primary legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32060/26]
78. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 347 of 21 April 2026, the way in which and where this engagement is taking place (details supplied); the way companies engaged in the manufacture of building materials with the use of mainly recycled components can engage with the authors and/or Government to feed into the preparation of the circu…
281. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether he has considered introducing a legal requirement for contractors, including those carrying out retrofit and residential construction works, to hold insurance or financial safeguards to protect upfront payments made by homeowners in the event of insolvency or non-completion of works; the current consumer protections in place …
74. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the new construction waste levy which is leading to significantly increased costs for construction projects at a time of housing shortage and house price inflation; his plans to review this levy or assist the sector in relation to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18530/26]
1006. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if alternative EA MLA issued accreditation schemes other than the NSAI are acceptable for modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18521/26]
1007. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans if any, to adapt a one nation national minimum standard approach for all housing types similar to the 2025 design standards for apartment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18522/26]
652. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether hemp-based construction materials, including hempcrete and bio composite products are being considered within public procurement frameworks and housing policy as part of efforts to reduce building emissions and construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14329/26]
442. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether his Department has formally requested the Central Statistics Office, since 2022, to develop a residential construction productivity framework or satellite account capable of producing residential-specific productivity indicators, including gross value added and hours worked; if so, the date of each such request; and if not, the …
443. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether any Inter-Departmental Group, Steering Committee, or formal governance structure has been established since 2022 to oversee the development of residential construction productivity metrics, including modern methods of construction output; the Departments and agencies represented; the chairing authority; and the outputs or decisi…
444. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether a decision has been taken by his Department not to seek, request, or support a Eurostat derogation or alternative statistical approval to enable the publication of residential-specific construction productivity data; if such a decision has been taken, the date and rationale for that decision; and if no decision has been taken, w…
446. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether an independent external evaluation framework has been established to assess the value for money and productivity impact of the Built to Innovate initiative administered by Enterprise Ireland; whether any external evaluator has been appointed or procured to date; if not, whether the Minister intends to commission an independent e…
447. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether his Department or Enterprise Ireland has established metrics to assess whether the Built to Innovate initiative has delivered demonstrable productivity gains at sector level within the residential construction industry, including impacts on housing output, build times, or unit delivery costs beyond firm-level performance indicat…
448. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether any further expansion or additional funding allocations under the Built to Innovate initiative will be made prior to the completion of an independent external evaluation of the programme; whether consideration has been given to making future funding contingent on demonstrated sector-level productivity or housing delivery outcome…
673. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports currently in place to support first-time builders financially or otherwise; the proposals his Department has planned to assist first-time builders financially, or otherwise in building their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8130/26]
167. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to build public construction capacity to ensure Ireland has the workers needed to deliver a housing savings scheme in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5102/26]
462. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department has taken to assess and address the impact of the recent decision in the High Court (details supplied) which will impact the governing of construction contract payments under the Construction Contracts Act 2013; if he will ensure that companies are not at risk of payment requests being wrongfully ignored witho…