It now appears that the Government has finally woken up to the need to make major decisions relating to the eventuality of a hard Brexit decision, and the consequent impact such an outcome will have for the Irish economy, and our need to access continental markets hitherto accessed through the Northern Ireland ports and infrastructure.
Hard Brexit impact on roads & ports
In the event of hard Border controls being introduced, all the road and other freight traffic will need to be redirected to the existing ports in the south and south east of the country. Civil Engineering infrastructure projects such as the construction of expansion to the ports of Rosslare, Waterford and Cork will be required as a matter of urgency, as well as the construction of major infrastructure projects such as the extension of the M11 to Rosslare; the construction of the much awaited motorway from Cork to Limerick; and the upgrading of the N25 from Rosslare to Cork.
Civil Engineers
Civil Engineers with road and harbour construction expertise will be in greater demand in the very near future for these projects, as it is anticipated that the Government will make provision for these and other civil engineering projects in the budget statement in the coming months. With the existing acute skills shortage across the engineering and construction industry, this will result in a large increase in recruitment from all over Europe and outside of Europe to meet the recruitment needs.
If you are considering a move back to Ireland and wish to discuss the current opportunities within the Architecture, Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Construction industries, please contact c.herlihy@gpcireland.com or call Caroline on + 353 86 8055216.