Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2023
106. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on his engagement with the Departments of Further and Higher Education, Innovation, Research and Science and Enterprise, Trade and Employment in respect of workforce planning in the construction industry to ensure the delivery of housing and other critical infrastructure. [54127/23]
View answerMy Department engages with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Science and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment through the Housing for All governance structures. These include the Housing for All Industry Capability Working Group (ICWG), and the Modern Methods of Construction Leadership and Integration Group (MMC LIG) chaired by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment.
The following actions from the Housing for All Action Plan Update and the Q3 2023 Progress Report are coordinated through these groups;
• The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) to report on the skills requirement for the transition to MMC.
• The publication of an Action Plan in response to the EGFSN report on MMC Skills and then informed by this report investigate the development of an industry lead platform to promote MMC skills development.
• The expansion of apprenticeship capacity, including in construction-related programmes, in line with increased demand and report quarterly on progress.
• Support specialist industry led upskilling as identified by project partners targeted at professionals for the Construction Sector.
• Quarterly reporting on the implementation of actions identified in the Action Plan to Promote Careers in Construction and delivery of the skills response in relation to the Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction & Retrofitting 2023–2030.
• Update the underlying projections of the Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction & Retrofitting 2023–2030 biannually to ensure that the skills response delivered is appropriate.
The minutes of the meetings of these groups can be found at the following links:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/20e1c-housing-for-all-industry-capability-working-group-meetings/#:~:text=The%20Industry%20Capability%20Workstream%20has,and%20compliance%2C%20and%20sectoral%20engagement.
enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/mmc-leadership-and-integration-group.html#:~:text=The%20Modern%20Methods%20of%20Construction,MMC%20development%20and%20research%20orientation.
