Aidan Priestley talks to Kieran McQuinn, a Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), whose focus spans from crafting insightful quarterly economic commentaries to delving deep into the intricate realms of economic growth and housing market trends Professor Kieran McQuinn As the National Planning Framework review is due to be released, what’s your scorecard for the current plan? In assessing the current National Planning Framework, it’s evident that there have been significant policy initiatives over recent years. Particularly since the aftermath of the global f ..read more

As Director of Hempbuild Sustainable Products, Ronan McDermott has spent the last decade working with innovation on specialist heritage renovations across Ireland and the UK. He talks to AIDAN PRIESTLEY about disrupting the status quo when it comes to building materials In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable living, one revolutionary material is emerging as a game-changer in the realm of home insulation – hemp. What sets hemp insulation apart according to Ronan McDermott, Director of Hempbuild Sustainable Products Ltd, is its remarkable adaptability, seamlessly integrating into various ..read more

Commercial partnership  The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel. The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine. However, it has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has now become an invasive species in many countries worldwide. According to Google, the zebra mussel probably arrived in Ireland in 1994 attached to the hulls of second-hand boats imported from Britain or the Netherlands. They inhabit slow rivers, canals, docks, lakes, reservoirs, and even water pipes and cooling systems. Now that they are here in Ireland they are causing all s ..read more

Commercial partnership Padraig Reilly, the founder and CEO of Boxcore, spent almost 20 years in the construction industry as a civil engineer and project manager. He worked on construction projects in Australia, Ireland, and the UK in leadership roles for both General Contractors and Subcontractors before founding Boxcore. Like many people within the industry, Padraig grew frustrated by the lack of practical options available when looking for ways to streamline site safety requirements, particularly the collecting and tracking of training, equipment, and safety documents. “Typically, the avail ..read more

Conor O’Connell is CIF Director of Housing, Planning & Development. He considers the outlook of homebuilding for the remainder of 2024 As I write this article for Construction magazine, we are still awaiting news on the extension or otherwise of the Development Contribution Scheme waiver and Water Connection rebate scheme. It is not an exaggeration to say that this one scheme has facilitated the construction of thousands of new homes by reducing development costs and increasing viability and affordability. On average the waiver and rebate scheme reduce the cost of delivery by €19,000, a ve ..read more

Pictured above are Dermot Carey, CIF Director of Safety & Training; Seamus Hoyne, Dean of Flexible and Work Based Learning, TUS; Sinéad Hughes, IGBC Programme Manager and Pádraig Boland, FET Strategic Manager with LOETB The construction industry must embrace digitalisation, low carbon construction and Modern Methods of Construction such as offsite and modular building, while focusing on improving the diversity of its workforce. This is according to a new report – A National Upskilling Roadmap for Sustainability in the Built Environment – developed as part of the EU-Life co-funded Build Up ..read more

With an industry career spanning over two decades, Dublin native Isabelle Gallagher is Head of Development at Quintain. Working as Development Director at Quintain Ireland since 2019, she was appointed to her current role last November to help achieve future growth ambitions within the company. Private homebuilder Quintain is delivering over 750 homes a year and targeting 1,500 by 2026. Isabelle has been the driving force behind Quintain’s developments in Adamstown and was instrumental in obtaining planning permission for 1,800 residential units in the area over the last two years. This work a ..read more

Ahead of his welcome address at this year’s Housebuilding Summit Michael Kelleher, IHBA President and Group Operations Director of O’ Flynn Group, shares his industry views on what will be a pivotal year for the industry In the past year, Ireland witnessed the completion of just under 33,000 homes, a commendable achievement, aligning with targets set in Housing for All. This marked a significant 10 per cent increase from 2022 and an impressive 60 per cent surge from 2021. However, as we assess the landscape, it’s clear that meeting actual demand requires a more ambitious approach, with an annu ..read more

CIF Director General, Hubert Fitzpatrick calls for optimism surrounding infrastructure needs alongside a commitment to invest and build in Ireland This April edition of Construction focuses on housing – how can we build crucially-needed homes to accommodate Ireland’s growing population? Every day across the country people seek a place to live through private purchase or social and affordable housing. And each day, our homebuilding members are fully in gear building these homes, against a tide of complexity. The process of building homes, once ground is broken, is often the simplest part of the ..read more

We are delighted to publish this special April issue of Construction magazine  in conjunction with this year’s Housebuilding Summit, taking place in Croke Park on April 16 in partnership with the Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF). You can discover more about this great event and its speaker line-up on www.housebuildingsummit.com For almost a century, the IHBA has supported hundreds of housebuilders across Ireland to deliver more homes for more people, bringing a wealth of expertise to this sector. We are therefore delighted to feature IH ..read more