A record 4,000 professionals and decision makers from across the construction industry are expected to attend this year’s National Construction Summit which takes place at Sports Campus Ireland on April 2nd and 3rd. Now in its 10th year, the event continues to grow, and this year has been expanded to a two-day format for the first time.
“With over 170 exhibitors and thousands of delegates, there will be representation from all sectors of the industry including building information modelling, green and smart tech, the overall supply chain, and modern methods of construction [MMC], to name just a few,” says Carol Tallon, chief executive of construction consultancy Property District and an adviser to the event organisers.
“Ireland’s construction industry faces major challenges, from the housing crisis to outdated planning rules,” says Tallon. “The National Construction Summit brings public and private sector leaders together to discuss off-site and other MMC build reforms and policy changes. Delegates can connect, share insights and build partnerships to navigate the evolving industry landscape.”
Delegates will mainly come from Ireland, with a strong UK presence and some from further afield, she adds. “As the reputation and global expertise of Irish contractors builds, we are seeing more UK and European organisations attending the event in order to learn about the market, to explore project opportunities and to forge relationships. This is particularly visible in the data centres, cleanroom and controlled environments, and MMC areas.”
That international presence is very important, Tallon believes. “Uniquely, this event brings regulatory bodies, financial institutes, market leaders and trailblazers of industry into one room, but only once a year. As Ireland embarks on more large-scale and generationally transformative projects, it is clear that we need to learn from each other and adopt international best practices. Collaboration is key for construction organisations with genuine growth ambitions.”
On the home front, the housing crisis will come in for special attention in a packed agenda. “We are at a critical point for housing and infrastructure delivery in Ireland and Europe,” Tallon points out. “The crisis has now reached the point where housing policy has almost been taken out of the hands of individual countries. The new European commissioner for energy and housing Dan Jørgensen has established a special pan-European committee on the housing crisis with the key tasks of addressing the delivery of affordable housing and looking at how MMC can speed up delivery.”
In this context, Tallon believes one of the most significant aspects of the summit will be the attendance of Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne.
“As a new minister, with a new portfolio, the event will afford him the opportunity to meet the industry, those who are delivering on the ground, and ask questions,” she says. “It’s not just an opportunity for the Minister to talk to the industry; we see his visit as an opportunity for a genuine knowledge exchange. We have had difficulties in the past in terms of sharing industry views on planning and other issues like utility connection delays. This is a big opportunity for the industry to have its say with new Government.”
The summit will also look at how the construction industry can play its role in addressing the crisis. “Off-site construction and MMC have a big role to play,” says Tallon. “But it is so important not to conflate them with modular construction. Modular is just one of seven modern methods of construction. But anything that is manufactured off-site is likely to be more sustainable and higher quality. It tends to be what happens on site that slows things down.”
While a significant increase in home building activity is urgently required, the industry will also need to deliver the €165 billion in infrastructure projects planned under the NDP over the coming 10 years.
“The capacity of the industry to deliver these projects is underused at the moment,” Tallon points out. “The Irish construction industry is running at around three quarters of its capacity on average at present, despite the strong demand for new housing and infrastructure. That’s according to the latest Construction Market Overview from building services firm Turner & Townsend, covering the period from July to September 2024. When you look at MMC and off-site construction we know from a National Economic and Social Council report that they have the ability to immediately increase capacity by at least 25 per cent.”
The planning system is the key capacity constraint, she says: “In terms of infrastructure one of the big challenges has been the lack of multiyear budgets, but some progress on correcting that has been made in the last year. The biggest problem now is planning. The new Planning and Development Act became law in October, but it will be anywhere between 12 and 24 months before it’s fully implemented. We are still in crisis mode in terms of housing and infrastructure delivery. The industry needs a crisis response from Government instead of waiting for the Act to be implemented.”
She welcomes the increased attention being placed on infrastructure by the new Government. “As minster for Public Expenditure and Reform, Jack Chambers now has infrastructure as part of his remit. We can’t build a house unless the pipes are in the ground, so we very much welcome the focus on infrastructure.”
The “evolution of the National Construction Summit into a two-day event reflects the growing need and appetite of the industry to learn, upskill and grow”, Tallon concludes. “However, we need a stable policy environment that understands and supports the needs of industry as it tackles the scale of delivery needed across housing, clean energy and infrastructure to 2030 and beyond.”
