Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
324. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department will publish regional breakdowns of construction SME challenges, including specific data for Cork city and county, as part of its annual reporting from 2026 onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65732/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the Government’s new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, my Department, working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), and other relevant stakeholders, is progressing work to increase innovation and delivery capacity in the residential construction sector through promoting the adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC). More widespread adoption of MMC can help deliver the Government’s ambition of high-quality affordable housing for everyone.
The MMC Leadership and Integration Group, established by my Department, involves a range of Departments, Agencies and industry representative bodies. The Group takes a broad ecosystem view on identifying addressing barriers to wider deployment of MMC and innovation adoption in residential construction and to drive further development and greater adoption of MMC in residential construction. The work of this Group is nationwide in scope and does not generate data on a regional or county basis.
Arising from the work of the MMC Leadership and Integration Group, my Department and DHLGH jointly published the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in public housing delivery in July 2023. The Roadmap addresses a range of industry and public sector challenges across: procurement; regulation and standards; skills development; enterprise capacity and capability; research & innovation; and access to finance. The MMC Leadership and Integration Group will continue its work under the Government’s new Housing Plan, engaging with industry bodies, and supporting the implementation of a range of new actions contained in the Plan to boost MMC adoption and delivery capacity in the residential construction sector.
The Deputy may also be aware that the Construction Sector Group (CSG), comprising representatives of key industry bodies, as well as senior representatives of relevant government departments and agencies with responsibility for policy and delivery of infrastructure, is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and reports to the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The CSG 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 commitments in Project Ireland 2040.
The Deputy's attention is also drawn to the "Build Report", which is an annual overview of construction sector performance and capacity, and presents the latest data and policy developments to show construction sector trends in: investment, planning and delivery, costs, employment, skills, MMC adoption, productivity and sustainability. In doing so, the report assesses construction sector capacity and identifies policy implications for delivery of the National Development Plan (NDP). Built Report 2025 was published this month by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and can be accessed here: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/48e002fa/Build_Report_2025.pdf
Finally, Enterprise Ireland’s Built to Innovate programme, which commenced in 2022 and is funded by my Department, provides grant support packages for homebuilders and construction SMEs throughout the country, including Cork city and County, to help increase innovation and productivity, including MMC adoption, in the domestic market. Built to Innovate offers different grant aid packages across: Digital, Lean, Research & Innovation, and Sustainability. To date, 45 companies have been supported under the Built to Innovate programme, including Primary Structure Offsite Manufacturers, Homebuilders and Main Contractors, and Subcontractors and design teams. A total of over €6.5 million in grants has been allocated to supporting these businesses over the last three years. Under the new Housing Plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities, Enterprise Ireland will increase its level of company engagement, promoting tailored financial and soft supports, aiming to achieve a doubling of the €6.5 million already invested in small and medium sized firms in the residential construction sector.
