The number of UK-based Irish construction workers returning to Ireland has increased over the last month, signalling another indicator of the turnaround in the fortunes of the Emerald Isle, according to recruitment firm Hays.
According to research by the firm, the demand for construction and property professionals in Ireland was up 40% in July compared to the same period last year.
Hays said that during the month it experienced a 35% month-on-month increase in the number of applications to work overseas from Irish construction and property workers currently based in the UK.
Three quarters of the UK-based applicants who were interviewed for roles in Ireland subsequently secured jobs.
According to Hays data, architecture was the fastest growth area in Ireland during the month, with demand for architects up by 60%. Other areas in short supply include senior contract managers, quantity surveyors and engineers.
"There’s a huge gap in skills in Ireland. Five or six years ago, someone looking for a quantity surveyor job would have been disappointed as there wasn’t any, now they would be comfortably offered three to five different options."
Mike McDonagh, Hays Ireland
Speaking to Construction Manager, Mike McDonagh, director for Hays Ireland, said UK-based Irish construction workers were and would continue to be in high demand due to the skills they have acquired while working abroad and could now bring back to the country.
“There’s a huge gap in skills in Ireland. Five or six years ago, someone looking for a quantity surveyor job would have been disappointed as there weren’t any, now they would be comfortably offered three to five different options.
“Those working in the UK as well, they’ve been working on interesting projects and exposed to different ways of working, particularly in the area of BIM, which is being adapted in Ireland but at a slower pace than the UK.”
He added that Brexit had also played its part: “The exchange rate now means that the salaries are still higher in the UK, but there’s probably more equity between the UK and Ireland now.”
According to Ireland’s Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the representative body for construction companies & contractors working across Ireland, foreign direct investment is leading the boost in building activity and the country will need 80,000 to 100,000 additional jobs in construction over the next five years.
Tom Parlon, director-general of the CIF, said a number of factors were encouraging for the sector: “With the continued economic growth, with the new housing strategy that’s been announced, and the very, very substantial foreign direct investment here, there are 18 companies either currently building or planning to build data centres in Ireland at the moment, so there’s a lot of activity going on.”
