Ireland’s construction sector posted 32,900 job vacancies and a 64.0 price expectations index, showing strong demand alongside rising cost pressure. Public and private capital also remained active, with €10.0 billion allocated to housing programmes under the National Development Plan and €2.8 billion in commercial property investment. This article brings together the key figures shaping construction demand, costs, and delivery capacity in Ireland.
Key Takeaways
- Ireland’s construction sector energy use was 4.2 TWh in 2022 (space heating and related uses)
- Ireland recorded 6,850 new Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments in 2023 for dwellings
- 24,000 new dwellings were granted planning permission for in 2023 (permission granted count, residential)
- Ireland invested €10.0 billion in housing and related capital programmes under the National Development Plan (NDP) (2021–2030 total envelope)
- VAT collected from Construction-related services rose to €2.7 billion in 2023 from €2.4 billion in 2022
- €2.8 billion of commercial property investment volumes were recorded in Ireland in 2024 (reported annual investment total for Ireland real estate)
- Skilled labour represented 41% of costs in construction projects in the Irish cost model referenced by Building Cost Information Service (BCIS)
- The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for construction materials in Ireland increased by 4.7% in 2024
- SEAI’s Better Energy Communities supported 145 projects with €23 million in funding under the programme up to 2024
- The Better Energy Homes scheme delivered 86,000 upgrades in Ireland in 2023
- Construction and real estate insolvencies increased by 7.3% in 2023 compared with 2022
- €4.5 billion in housing and other infrastructure capital spending in 2024 (Ireland’s total National Development Plan-related capital envelope supported by Budget 2024 allocations)
- €1.1 billion of public procurement awards in Ireland were for construction-related works in 2024 (public works procurement total)
- 32,900 construction job vacancies were advertised in 2024 (job vacancy counts by NACE sector)
- 18,200 construction workers were employed in Dublin and surrounding region in 2023 (regional employment in construction)
In 2024, construction momentum in Ireland grew amid higher material, labour and price expectations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
Ireland’s construction sector energy use was 4.2 TWh in 2022 (space heating and related uses)
02
Ireland recorded 6,850 new Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments in 2023 for dwellings
03
24,000 new dwellings were granted planning permission for in 2023 (permission granted count, residential)
04
3.1 months median time to complete residential planning applications in 2023 (planning performance metric published by the Department)
05
0.40 kg per capita of construction-related hazardous waste was reported in 2023 (hazardous C&D waste per person)
06
42% of construction contractors in Ireland have dedicated sustainability reporting processes (survey adoption of sustainability governance)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In Ireland’s industry trends for construction, energy use for space heating reached 4.2 TWh in 2022 while progress is visible through 6,850 new BER assessments in 2023 and 24,000 new dwellings getting planning permission, alongside growing sustainability uptake as 42% of contractors have dedicated sustainability reporting processes.
02 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
Ireland invested €10.0 billion in housing and related capital programmes under the National Development Plan (NDP) (2021–2030 total envelope)
02
VAT collected from Construction-related services rose to €2.7 billion in 2023 from €2.4 billion in 2022
03
€2.8 billion of commercial property investment volumes were recorded in Ireland in 2024 (reported annual investment total for Ireland real estate)
04
€1.2 billion in construction sector revenue for Irish listed builders in FY2023 (aggregate reported revenue for construction companies from annual reports)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The Irish construction market is set to stay highly active, with €10.0 billion planned for housing and related programmes through the National Development Plan from 2021 to 2030 alongside strong demand signals like construction service VAT rising to €2.7 billion in 2023 from €2.4 billion in 2022 and €2.8 billion in commercial property investment volumes in 2024.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
Skilled labour represented 41% of costs in construction projects in the Irish cost model referenced by Building Cost Information Service (BCIS)
02
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for construction materials in Ireland increased by 4.7% in 2024
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis in Irish construction points to a dual pressure where skilled labour accounts for 41% of project costs and construction material prices jumped 4.7% in 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy & Regulation2 stats
01
SEAI’s Better Energy Communities supported 145 projects with €23 million in funding under the programme up to 2024
02
The Better Energy Homes scheme delivered 86,000 upgrades in Ireland in 2023
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Under Policy and Regulation, SEAI’s programmes show steady momentum with Better Energy Communities backing 145 projects using €23 million up to 2024 and Better Energy Homes delivering 86,000 upgrades in 2023 alone.
05 · Category
Public Investment2 stats
01
€4.5 billion in housing and other infrastructure capital spending in 2024 (Ireland’s total National Development Plan-related capital envelope supported by Budget 2024 allocations)
02
€1.1 billion of public procurement awards in Ireland were for construction-related works in 2024 (public works procurement total)
Interpretation
Public Investment Interpretation
Under the public investment lens, Ireland’s construction pipeline looks set to stay strong with €4.5 billion in 2024 capital spending on housing and other infrastructure alongside €1.1 billion in 2024 public procurement awards for construction related works.
06 · Category
Industry Overview7 stats
01
32,900 construction job vacancies were advertised in 2024 (job vacancy counts by NACE sector)
02
18,200 construction workers were employed in Dublin and surrounding region in 2023 (regional employment in construction)
03
Ireland’s HICP for labour-related construction services increased by 3.2% in 2024 (service price component)
04
Construction price expectations rose to 64.0 index points in Q1 2024 (construction sector price expectation index from reputable business survey)
05
34% of construction projects in Ireland reported use of offsite/pre-fabrication in 2024 (adoption share from industry survey)
06
27% of construction firms in Ireland use project management software on a daily basis (survey-based adoption rate)
07
Construction and real estate insolvencies increased by 7.3% in 2023 compared with 2022
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across Ireland’s construction industry, rising demand and digitalization stand out, with 32,900 construction job vacancies advertised in 2024 alongside strong technology uptake where 27% of firms use project management software daily and 34% of projects report offsite or pre-fabrication use.
report visual · Comparison
Construction activity and services are shifting year-on-year
Key indicators across housing demand, energy performance, and construction-related taxation and activity show measurable change between consecutive years.
VAT collected from Construction-related services rose to €2.7 billion in 2023 from €2.4 billion in 2022€2.7 billion
24,000 new dwellings were granted planning permission for in 2023 (permission granted count, residential)
24,000
Ireland recorded 6,850 new Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments in 2023 for dwellings
6,850
Construction and real estate insolvencies increased by 7.3% in 2023 compared with 2022
7.3%
source-verifiedseai.ie · housing.gov.ie · revenue.ie · cicra.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Irish Construction Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/irish-construction-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Irish Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/irish-construction-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Irish Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/irish-construction-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)