Ireland’s Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has published an updated ‘Careers in Construction Action Plan’ designed to expand the domestic and international workforce needed to meet aggressive housing, climate and infrastructure targets. Launched on 27 January 2026 by Ministers James Lawless and Marian Harkin, the plan increases the number of actions from 20 to 36 and places new emphasis on widening participation through apprenticeship pathways, prison-based training and targeted recruitment of overseas workers.
Key mobility-related measures include: • leveraging EU public employment networks to market Irish construction vacancies abroad; • providing Safe-Pass training with Ukrainian-language interpretation for refugees; • exploring routes for International Protection Applicants to take up skilled roles; and • mapping foreign qualifications to Irish standards to accelerate permit applications. The plan also pledges closer collaboration with the Department of Enterprise on Employment Permit quotas for hard-to-fill construction occupations.
For global mobility and relocation providers, the initiative signals forthcoming demand for Critical Skills and General Employment Permits in areas such as BIM, off-site manufacturing and green-retrofit specialisms. Companies are advised to audit their talent pipelines now—particularly from EU/EEA states, South Africa and the Philippines, key source markets in recent years—and to monitor salary-threshold changes coming on 1 March 2026.
![Updated Construction Action Plan aims to tap overseas talent for Ireland’s housing push]()
Global employers navigating Ireland’s complex employment-permit landscape can streamline documentation through VisaHQ, whose dedicated Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers practical guidance on Critical Skills and General Employment Permits as well as other visa categories. The platform’s digital tools and expert support help construction firms and individual tradespeople obtain the right paperwork quickly, keeping projects on schedule as demand surges.
The Construction Industry Federation welcomed the update, noting that Ireland will need an additional 50,000 workers by 2030 to deliver Housing for All and National Development Plan commitments. Labour-shortage pressure is already pushing up project costs and timelines; the expanded action plan aims to mitigate those risks by smoothing entry pathways and up-skilling under-represented groups.
Implementation will be overseen by a cross-sectoral working group including SOLAS, Engineers Ireland and trade-union representatives, with progress reports due each quarter. Outcomes will feed into the National Skills Bulletin and inform future adjustments to the employment-permit system.
Key mobility-related measures include: • leveraging EU public employment networks to market Irish construction vacancies abroad; • providing Safe-Pass training with Ukrainian-language interpretation for refugees; • exploring routes for International Protection Applicants to take up skilled roles; and • mapping foreign qualifications to Irish standards to accelerate permit applications. The plan also pledges closer collaboration with the Department of Enterprise on Employment Permit quotas for hard-to-fill construction occupations.
For global mobility and relocation providers, the initiative signals forthcoming demand for Critical Skills and General Employment Permits in areas such as BIM, off-site manufacturing and green-retrofit specialisms. Companies are advised to audit their talent pipelines now—particularly from EU/EEA states, South Africa and the Philippines, key source markets in recent years—and to monitor salary-threshold changes coming on 1 March 2026.
Global employers navigating Ireland’s complex employment-permit landscape can streamline documentation through VisaHQ, whose dedicated Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers practical guidance on Critical Skills and General Employment Permits as well as other visa categories. The platform’s digital tools and expert support help construction firms and individual tradespeople obtain the right paperwork quickly, keeping projects on schedule as demand surges.
The Construction Industry Federation welcomed the update, noting that Ireland will need an additional 50,000 workers by 2030 to deliver Housing for All and National Development Plan commitments. Labour-shortage pressure is already pushing up project costs and timelines; the expanded action plan aims to mitigate those risks by smoothing entry pathways and up-skilling under-represented groups.
Implementation will be overseen by a cross-sectoral working group including SOLAS, Engineers Ireland and trade-union representatives, with progress reports due each quarter. Outcomes will feed into the National Skills Bulletin and inform future adjustments to the employment-permit system.
