A shortage of engineers could undermine prosperity, a body representing the sector has said.

The representative body for Ireland’s engineers has called for the establishment of a single unit tasked with the development of the nation’s infrastructure which, it says, will expedite the building of projects such as the Metro North and M20 Cork-Limerick motorway.

Ways to combat future flooding are being examined by thousands of Engineers.

Engineers have warned that coastal and riverside communities are in for more flood damage as cash- strapped local authorities struggle to provide adequate protections.