Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The last number of years have brought construction standards to the forefront. We have seen how a lack of regulation has impacted families in the form of issues with mica and pyrite in particular. In so many instances, it has had absolutely devastating impacts on people's physical and mental health. I am conscious on the surface that people might switch off when they hear us discussing this kind of legislation, because one does not automatically see or hear the human impacts of it, but there are such impacts and there is no doubt that when licensing and regulation is not present, or when they are not followed, especially in construction, the personal implications for homeowners and renters can be huge. I have seen that in my own apartment block. I have seen the mental stress, the financial cost and the general upheaval construction defects can cause.

Whether it is construction defects, water ingress, the use of mica or pyrite or so-called cowboy builders, the bottom line is there a very real human impact to poor construction. That is why I really welcome this Bill, which is aimed at providing a new and comprehensive framework for construction licensing in Ireland. When introduced, it will establish a designated licensing authority for the sector, which will include a licensing model for tutors and a register of licensees and approved training organisations. It will also introduce a skills-based system of assessment. I welcome that because it will include recognition of foreign qualifications. That is innovative and really needed, especially when one takes into account where we are with respect not only to the shortage of construction workers, but also to the huge number of people coming to Ireland from other countries, including those seeking international protection here, who have skills we need. Once a foreign qualification meets our requirements and standards, recognising those qualifications will provide a much-needed boost to our construction workforce and allow us to build much-needed homes more quickly.

When establishing any authority, it is obviously critical that we have checks and balances built into the system. I therefore welcome that this Bill also provides for the creation of several new offences and for a complaints and investigations mechanism for fraud or non-compliance. The provision of licensing for tutors and training organisations in this space is a good idea. If we look at almost any other sector, tutors and trainers must meet certain standards, and construction should not be an exception. That is not to say there are not many tutors and training organisations out there doing a fantastic job at the moment. I recently visited the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas and heard all about the many cutting-edge, nearly zero-emission building and retrofitting courses on offer there. I was so impressed with the training opportunities on offer and with how many people are going through the centre's doors. It is a really excellent centre of excellence when it comes to everything from retrofitting, decarbonisation, modern construction methods and utilising the circular economy. I commend the centre on all the work it is doing to modernise the construction sector and construction skills.

At a time when we desperately need to build more quality homes as quickly as we can, and we need to attract more people into the construction sector as quickly as we can, it is precisely that innovation and forward thinking we need to harness. Representatives from SOLAS, the OPW, the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, and Coillte were all before the housing committee yesterday. They spoke about the lack of young people choosing a career in construction and choosing to learn a trade. I am aware the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Harris, have been doing a huge amount of work in improving the amount of apprenticeship options on offer and increasing awareness among young people and school leavers. However, at the meeting yesterday I asked each of the representatives how many internships or apprenticeships they offered within their organisations and was disappointed to hear the responses. They were talking about small numbers of apprenticeships in large organisations. We as a State must lead by example when it comes to offering apprenticeships. We must offer them to young people, those upskilling and those looking to change careers. We currently do not do that at scale. We see it happening in the private sector but we are not seeing it happen at scale in the public sector. The OPW has a workforce of about 2,500 people and has about 60 apprenticeships. That is not even 3%. We need to invest in this because it is win-win. It is a win for us as a State because it helps us to build up our construction workforce and to deliver much-needed homes and it is a win for the apprentices as well because it helps them to develop their careers.

This week is Construction Work and Skills Week. The Intreo Construction Jobs, Apprenticeships and Training Expo will take place this Friday in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Adrianne Mooney and her fantastic team did an incredible job at that event last year in Tallaght Stadium, so this is going to be the second year of it. We had so many people coming from transition year classes to start the Safe Pass process. It is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is considering a career in construction or wants to upskill or become an apprentice.

I would advise people to attend it. I would also advise the Minister of State to give the State the feedback that all of our organisations need to be present at these kinds of events and to take on apprentices. The State needs to lead by example.

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