Ireland needs 120,000 new construction workers to achieve climate and housing targets

The likes of renewable energy and home retrofitting experts have long warned that ambitious plans to take Ireland to 2030 and beyond would require a huge influx of labour. File photo

More than 280,000 construction workers will have to be hired or re-skilled in order to meet climate and housing targets by 2030, according to a new industry analysis.

Research carried out by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) for the EU-funded Build Up Skills Ireland 2030 scheme found that 120,000 new workers would be needed in construction, with a further 164,000 needing to be re-trained.