Labour City Councillor Niall Mc Nelis, has urged the Government to urgently address the chronic labour shortage in construction that is delaying the building of homes.
Cllr Mc Nelis said the Government’s own figures show that there is a shortage of over 50,000 construction workers in Ireland and that this is having a devastating impact on the building of new homes, with many projects delayed or cancelled.
“Government’s failure to invest in apprenticeships has led to a huge shortage in skilled construction workers. This is simply not sustainable. We need to invest in apprenticeships and create a coherent framework that will ensure that we have the skilled workers we need to build the homes we need.”
“Construction workers need fair pay. Construction companies continue to make huge profits from the housing crisis, yet rates for construction workers, particularly apprentices, are not compensated as they should be. We need to ensure that construction workers are paid fairly for the hard work they do.
“Government needs to urgently address the chronic labour shortage in construction. They need to invest in apprenticeships, ensure that construction workers are paid fairly, and work with the industry to develop a coherent plan to address this crisis,” he said.
