Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2025
738. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the national demonstration park for modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53511/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith thanks to Deputy Currie for her interest in the development of the National Demonstration Park for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
Located at the National Construction Training Campus in Mount Lucas, the National Demonstration Park for MMC will serve as a national hub to showcase MMC housing and systems. The Park will be central to advancing the take-up of MMC in Ireland as a physical showcase for MMC technologies and processes.
The project is being led by the Laois–Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), who manage the National Construction Training Campus, and who will also deliver relevant MMC course provision to support skills development.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that construction of the Demonstration Park is progressing well, with the enabling groundworks for Phase 1 expected to be completed by the end of October. These initial construction activities have been carried out onsite to prepare for the MMC units and are essential to ensure that the site is safe, stable, and ready for further development.
I was delighted to see this work in person during the breaking of the ground ceremony at the Park on 9th June. This marked an important milestone for the project, and the presence of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, also highlighted the cross-Departmental importance of the Park.
The first of the demonstration units are projected to be onsite in Q1 2026, with activity scaling throughout 2026.
The development of the Park is aligned with the Department’s broader MMC strategy. This includes the rollout of the Skillnet MMC Accelerate online platform in February 2025, and the launch of an MMC Action Plan in June 2025 to address the skills needs identified by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN).
I would once again like to thank the Deputy for her interest in my Department’s work to support and advance MMC across Ireland.
