Construction and Property

Demand is running ahead of supply. SOLAS lists quantity surveyors, civil engineers and construction project managers as shortage occupations in its National Skills Bulletin 2025, published in October 2025. In January 2026 AECOM forecast construction output growth of about 4% for the year and warned that a lack of skills could put delivery at risk. Most experienced people are already on a project, so adverts reach few of them. A direct approach, a clear package and a quick decision are what move them.

Yes, subject to the permit rules. From 1 March 2026 the Critical Skills Employment Permit minimum salary is €40,904 for a candidate with a relevant degree, according to the Department of Enterprise, and the occupation must be one the Department treats as eligible. Thresholds and lists change, so check the current position before relying on it. Irish and EEA nationals returning from abroad typically need no permit, so we search both groups together and tell you which route is quicker for each candidate.

It depends on your pipeline. Where work runs beyond the current project, permanent staff give you continuity and people who know how you build. Where a job has a fixed end, a contract can suit both sides. Employment status has tax and legal consequences, so take professional advice on the right structure. We can recruit on either basis, tell you what candidates in each group are asking for and point out where a permanent offer would win someone who is contracting only for want of one.

The work is there. SOLAS lists civil engineers, construction project managers and quantity surveyors as shortage occupations in its National Skills Bulletin 2025. The harder part is housing: 73% of organisations told CIPD Ireland, in a report published in May 2026, that the housing crisis had made recruitment harder. Before you book flights, we can give you an honest view of salaries, locations and commutes for your experience and arrange interviews by video. We never charge candidates a fee.