Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide an update on the work of the Construction Sector Group to date in 2025; to detail how the priority themes are being progressed by the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27328/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Construction Sector Group ensures regular and open dialogue between Government and industry on how best to achieve and maintain a sustainable and innovative construction sector positioned to successfully deliver on the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. The Group has four priority themes for 2025:

1. improving regulation and public procurement,
2. supporting innovation and digital adoption,
3. securing the skills pipeline, and
4. communicating the public infrastructure investment pipeline.

The Quarter 1 meeting included a discussion on procurement reforms by the Office of Government Procurement including the introduction of liability caps to manage risk in public works contracts and the planned development of a digital procurement passport to further digitise procurement and reduce administrative burden. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provided an update on to the Planning and Development Act noting the planned reforms and implementation plan. DFERHIS also provided an update on several initiatives to bolster the supply of MMC skills and wider campaigns to encourage careers in construction.

The Quarter 2 meeting included a discussion on the Modern Methods of Construction Action Plan by DHFERIS. The plan will include nearly 60 actions across 8 themes aimed at ensuring the provision of specialist training for emerging skills requirements in this area. An update was also provided by my Department in relation to the NDP review and the measures taken to boost infrastructure delivery with the creation of a dedicated Infrastructure Division within my Department.

Each of the meetings in 2025 have also included an update from the Chair of the CSG Sub-Group on Innovation and Digital Adoption, on progress on each of the Group’s 7 priority actions to increase innovation, productivity and digital adoption in the construction sector. Examples of progress against the actions include the development of an MMC Data Dashboard by DETE, which is nearing finalisation. ePlanning continues to be rolled out among remaining local authorities, while the MMC Demonstration Park at Mount Lucas is expected to open later this year, which will provide an important resource to the construction industry by showcasing the latest technologies and methods in construction.

There is also a standing item update on Project Ireland 2040. The latest meeting noted progress relating to the update of the Project Ireland 2040 Capital Project Map and Tracker. The Tracker is a key database which improves visibility to industry on the growing infrastructure project pipeline, while the map is a citizen-focussed interactive tool on projects being delivered under the NDP at a local level. The updated Tracker and Map will be published shortly on www.gov.ie/2040.