Hello folks,
I would imagine you all are winding down now as we approach the silly season and trust you are all set to enjoy the festivities be it at home or abroad.
It truly has been an eventful 2018 in Ireland across the board.
With Brexit looming strong, as the U.K. seems to plunge deeper into chaos with each passing day, I think the overall consensus has been that we have handle the situation quite well.
From a sporting stand point, it has truly been a remarkable year also. Obviously, the Irish & Leinster Rugby teams, Dublin GAA & Limerick hurlers and the outstanding achievement by the Irish Ladies Hockey Team becoming the first Irish team in any code to reach a World Cup final cannot be understated.
As for the construction sector, in 2018 the positive momentum was maintained with Construction Information Services (CIS) and ESRI Ireland estimating over €56 billion worth of construction projects across the country with an almost 6% growth predicted over the next four years.
The Dublin crane count has reached a record high of 104 cranes as of December 2018 as the scope and scale of projects continues to grow.
One of the main talking points this year has been the development of “Project Ireland 2040” which set out a 23-year vision for the country and the projects that will be prioritised in the capital spending plans.
Some of the highlights being a €2billion Urban Regeneration & Development Fund along with a €1 billion Rural Development Fund.
An average of 30,000 new homes has been promised per year including 115,000 social houses by 2027.
The use of Use of state-owned landbanks (including 18 acres in Galway city) to attract people back to cities and towns.
In transport €7.3 billion has been allocated to regional roads and accessibility of the north-west. A new Atlantic Road Corridor – linking Cork to Limerick and onto Galway Mayo & Sligo will be finally be realised. In Dublin, the completion of the Metro Rail and an expanded Dart are forecast.
Also, Healthcare & Educational infrastructures are to be addressed. The completion of the National Children’s Hospital & National Maternity Hospitals, new & upgraded hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Limerick & Galway along with an €8.4 billion schools building programme are all to be priorities on the agenda.
Finally, the Data Centre: Q1 2018 report found that more than €1.1bn will be invested in data centre construction on Irish shores this year, bringing the cumulative investment for data centres in the country to €5.7bn, with the potential to reach €9bn by 2021.
All in all, it will certainly prove to be an exciting time to work in the construction industry here in Ireland over the coming years. There will be no lack of opportunities for potential employees as the shortage of quality staff intensifies in the immediate future.
With that in mind, if you feel that the New Year might be an opportunity to move on to bigger and better things or else just fancy a change of scenery, give me a call to discuss a few of the options available to you moving forward.
Feel free to give me a call at any stage, I always have the phone on me.
With that I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Is mise le meas,
Cormac Molloy.
Cormac Molloy
Cormac joined FRS Recruitment in March 2018. He is currently based in both the Galway & Dublin offices where he specialises in Construction and Engineering roles.
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