John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 20 together.

In response to the requirement set out in Action Plan for Jobs 2012, Forfás prepared a draft strategy for the construction sector to 2015 following consultations with industry and other key stakeholders. The draft strategy sets out actions aimed at placing the sector on a sustainable footing for future growth.

The issues facing the sector are broad ranging and cross several Departments and their agencies, including the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in respect of housing policy, planning and development issues and building regulations; the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and other relevant Departments in terms of the Government’s public capital programme; the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in respect of energy efficiency issues; and the Departments of Education and Skills and Social Protection in terms of training and education, skills development, retraining issues and employment support services. With regard to my own Department, a key focus for Enterprise Ireland, EI, is the internationalisation of construction services, and EI continues to work intensively with the sector in this regard.

Historically, the construction sector has been a significant contributor to the Irish economy and it remains important, albeit on a more sustainable scale. As we all know, the sector grew to unsustainable levels on the back of a property bubble, resulting in very significant job losses when the market turned and the recession took full hold. A key concern across Government is the scale of those job losses and the need to rebuild the sector along an innovative and sustainable growth path for the future, thereby contributing to the economic and social development of the country.

The report on construction was approved by the Forfás board last week and has just been presented to the Department. It identifies key areas for potential initiatives such as improving actions in the domestic market, driving further internationalisation, embedding competitiveness and innovation in the sector and ensuring the sector is skilled to deliver in emerging areas of opportunity. These recommendations will now be considered by the Department and in due course by Government. The report incorporates 30 actions.

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