Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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455. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount of support that the Government will give to the construction industry that brings in workers from abroad (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24135/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Achieving the goals set out in the Housing for All Strategy will require the recruitment of more than 50,000 new construction workers to meet the Government's current housing and retrofitting targets. In response to this need, the Future Building Initiative was established to work directly with jobseekers, supporting them through training and skills development, and matching them with recruiting employers. The Future Building Initiative operates through a team staffed by Intreo in my department, Solas and the Education and Training Boards and is part-financed under the Government’s Housing for All Implementation Fund.

As well as working with jobseekers in Ireland and through EURES across the EU/EEA, the team is looking at opportunities for recruitment from third countries where the necessary skills and experience may be available. At this stage, preliminary conversations have been held with the South African public employment service (PES) to examine the scope for suitably qualified professionals to come to Ireland to fill vacant roles here.

To date no recruitment events have been held by the Department for South African construction professionals.

My officials have contacted the Deputy offering to assist the construction sector employers he refers to and to welcome their involvement in future international recruitment activities.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.