In a press release yesterday the Minster for Housing, Planning and Construction Paudie Coffey TD commented on the significant rise in numbers of people employed in the Irish construction sector. Referencing the “over-heated” state of employment in the construction sector in 2008 he points to the effectiveness of the Governments ‘Construction 2020’ strategy and its aim of creating an additional 60,000 jobs in the Irish construction sector by 2020. The Minister references the impact the strategy has had in its first year with the creation of 19,600 additional construction sector jobs with construction sector employment standing now 126,000 at this stage of 2015.
Speaking yesterday the Minister said “A healthy economy must have a vibrant construction sector, and we are making progress with the continued delivery of the Construction 2020 Strategy. In the last year we have seen employment grow by almost 20,000 to 126,000 people. The number of houses being built is increasing and the number of commencement notices for construction of houses has more than doubled when compared to 2014. The number of planning permissions in the first quarter of 2015 has increased by 97% when compared to the same period in 2014.
While a far cry from the unsustainable numbers in 2008 the rise in construction sector employment this year must be seen as a positive sign for the continued recovery of the construction sector and the Irish economy as a whole.
Full details of the Minster’s statement can be read in yesterday’s press release.
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