Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

2158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount expended to date on the advertising campaign described in the media as costing nearly €450,000 to entice Irish construction workers abroad to return home, including a breakdown of expenditure by market (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom); the number of workers who have returned to Ireland as a direct result of this campaign, and the number of workers who registered interest or engagement through the campaign’s online portal or contact point; a breakdown of those returning by country of origin and by trade or occupation within the construction sector, such as bricklayer, site engineer, carpenter, or electrician; the evidence available of any net economic benefit to the Exchequer arising from this campaign in terms of increased tax revenue, PRSI contributions, or measurable additions to housing-related construction employment; whether an evaluation or review of the cost-effectiveness of this campaign has been conducted; and if so, if he will provide a summary of findings and state whether the campaign will continue or be redesigned. [60120/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

2159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills having regard to reports that nearly €450,000 was spent on a campaign to attract Irish construction workers home from abroad, the number of those workers that have actually taken up employment in Ireland as a result of the campaign; the criteria being used by his Department to measure the campaign’s success or return on investment, and the date by which a full evaluation will be completed; whether he accepts that the continuing shortage of construction workers, despite this expenditure, indicates that the campaign has not delivered value for money; and whether consideration will be given to reallocating such funding to domestic training and retention schemes. [60121/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

2160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an assessment was undertaken of the opportunity cost of spending nearly €450,000 on advertising to attract emigrant workers, rather than on upskilling or retention initiatives for those already working in Ireland; if a cost-benefit or return-on-investment analysis was completed before the campaign’s launch, and if so, whether he will publish the summary findings; the total number of workers targeted by the campaign, the number who returned to work in Ireland, and the cost per successful returnee; and whether any measurable increase has occurred in the domestic construction workforce that can be attributed directly to this campaign. [60122/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2158 to 2160, inclusive, together.

Ireland needs people with construction skills and experience to help deliver on ambitious targets for new housing and infrastructure. The National Development Plan outlines a record €275.4 billion in public capital investment, aiming to secure Ireland's future, to transform the country, unlock housing, upgrade water and energy infrastructure, deliver more roads, and provide better public transport.

Construction workers are in demand, and there are lots of opportunities for Irish construction workers who have moved abroad and are considering returning. Between now and 2030, Ireland needs between 69,000 - 79,000 additional construction sector workers to help deliver on ambitious targets for residential construction and retrofitting targets alone.

My Department is leading on a number of initiatives to address the skills gap in construction, including a campaign aimed at Irish construction workers abroad who are considering returning home.

The campaign was developed following research which included feedback from Irish construction workers abroad, that skills they developed abroad may not be valued at home.

Funded under Housing for All, the campaign ran for two weeks in October 2024 in Canada and Australia, total campaign spend in 2024 was €166,889. The campaign will run for seven weeks this October and November, across Canada, Australia and the US, with anticipated spend of €277,055.

A review of the campaign will be conducted on completion, to inform next steps. This review will be complete in Q1 2026. Actual spend per country will be available as part of this review.

The metrics for the campaign include:

Latest analytics show strong engagement with the campaign. The Build Back Home website has more than 68,750 visits, 95% of which are from North America, Canada and Australia. The review of the campaign will also provide final analytics on performance related to the target metrics.

While definitive causal effects cannot be concluded, this campaign will have had a contributory effect on the following key metrics:

- 18% increase in All Construction Workforce (Source: CSO).

- within this 31% increase in Housing Construction Workforce (Source: CSO).

Detailed as follows are some of the upskilling and retention initiatives being led by my Department to increase the pipeline of skilled workers required to deliver the Government’s housing targets across three strands.

1. Apprenticeship System.

My Department secured a significant investment of €79m million into the apprenticeship system in Budget 2026, the single largest investment in core apprenticeship funding since 2020.

There are now 31 construction or construction-related apprenticeship programmes, approximately 40% of all apprenticeships.

The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2026-2030, a key Programme for Government commitment to be launched next year will have a headline target of 12,500 new apprentice registrations per year by 2030 and two-thirds of these will be in craft and construction-related programmes.

2. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

In order to meet Ireland’s ambitious targets for housing, climate action, and infrastructure delivery, the construction sector must adopt new technologies and processes, including off-site construction, digital tools, and innovative materials.

My Department developed the MMC Action Plan outlining 58 actions to address skills shortages and support the successful transition to MMC across the construction supply chain.

My Department is also working closely with sectoral partners such as SOLAS, Education and Training Boards (ETBs), the National Construction Training Campus (NCTC), and Skillnet Ireland to increase MMC skills supply across the tertiary system.

Budget 2026 provided €1.75m to help equip the workforce with new innovative construction skills. Through this allocation, SOLAS is funding a range of MMC training pathways while Skillnet Ireland continue to expand the functionality of the Skillnet MMC Accelerate national platform. The platform highlights MMC projects and provides learners and workers with career pathways and new education and upskilling provision.

Construction on the National Demonstration Park for MMC, a key deliverable in Housing for All, is underway with the first units onsite by the first quarter of 2026.

3. Promotion of careers in construction and minimising barriers to entry.

My Department is implementing the Careers in Construction Action Plan - 20 actions that relate to structural, promotional, and training activities to minimise barriers, promote career opportunities, and make construction jobs more attractive to women. My Department is working with partners across the sector on updating the action plan, with the new plan set to be published in the coming weeks.

My Department also works with the Department of Social Protection on the Future Building Initiative. Through the initiative Intreo, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards of Ireland have formed a dedicated cross-functional team to support recruitment and training across the construction sector. The team collaborate closely to drive progress in recruitment for training courses, apprenticeships and jobs.

Together, these three strands reflect a broad range of approaches and initiatives aimed at expanding the skilled workforce to meet the annual housing delivery targets, complimenting the vital role to be played by employers themselves in recruiting, retaining and upskilling their workforce.