IMPORTING WORKERS TO MEET DEMAND OF IMPORTED WORKERS: THE INSANITY CYCLE CONTINUES
- Finbar O'Marcaigh
- Nov 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Ireland's Official Economic Think-Tank the 'Irish Fiscal Advisory Council' has published a report recommending that the state requires 80,000 construction workers to meet demand on infrastructure, homes and roads. The report titled "Ireland's Infrastructure Demand, co-authored by Niall Conroy and Kevin Timoney makes bleak reading in terms of the suggested deficit of construction workers and suggests Ireland would have to improve productivity and attain a significant increase in construction workers from somewhere. Reading between the lines I think it safe to say that importing workers from outside the state is the only solution to the scenario put to the reader by the authors. As they write,
" Overall, we estimate that almost 80,000 additional construction workers would be required to address Ireland’s infrastructure deficits (this equates to a 47% increase from current levels). Given construction workers are already scarce in Ireland, this is a significant barrier to resolving infrastructure shortfalls. If productivity improved in the construction sector, less than 20,000 extra workers would be required. Productivity in the construction sector in Ireland is about 30% lower than in other European countries."
The report also makes clear that increased demand on services is being driven by a phenomenol rate of immigration,
"The population has increased substantially in Ireland in recent years. Over the last decade, the population has increased by almost 14%. Some of this growth has been due to the following exceptional factors. The economy has recovered strongly over the last decade, with the unemployment rate falling by 8 percentage points. A strongly performing economy has led to significant net inward migration. In addition, the war in Ukraine has also led to further migration to Ireland. While neither of these factors are likely to be repeated in the coming years, the population is still expected to grow. Central Statistics Office projections (CSO, 2024a) suggest the population will grow by almost 10% in the coming decade."
Although within the report the authors have acknowledged that immigration is the driving factor behind increased pressures on infrastructure and housing, the report conclusions do not suggest the Government take measures to reduce inward migration, far from it. Rather, in terms of housing the authors appear to be mainly focussed on the Planning Objection process and reducing the citizen's input therein. There is little thought given to a local community's right or determination to influence or have input into their lived environment.
If this or the next Government implement the recommendations of the Fiscal Council by facilitating the inward migration of another 80,000 construction workers to build homes for the workers that are arriving on our shores daily, the proposterous cycle can only result in a worsening of the housing crisis, higher costs and less and shabby services. The absurdity must end. Only last month the Government introduced new rules to make it easier for employers to import workers from outside of the EU. As our EU partners close their borders to mass immigration, the Irish Government is setting up sign posts directing the mass immigration train to our overwhelmed shores.
The source link to the report is below...