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Kildare Today

with Hannah Kelly

Come Back And Build At Home: Government Spends Half A Million To Woo Irish Tradespeople Abroad

Thursday, 30 October 2025 10:53

By Martin Osborne - Head of News. Got a story? Email news@kfmradio.com.

Figures from Further Education Minister and Kildare North TD James Lawless show around €450,000 was spent on the initiative, which targeted workers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

The Government has spent almost half a million euro over the past year on campaigns to bring Irish construction workers home from abroad.

Figures from Further Education Minister and Kildare North TD James Lawless show around €450,000 was spent on the initiative, which targeted workers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

The campaign's aim is to address a major skills shortage in the building sector as the Government struggles to meet its 2030 housing targets. 

It’s estimated around 70,000 extra construction workers will be needed by the end of the decade.

The campaign featured online adverts and large banners overseas, with slogans such as “You’ve built Sydney, now come and build back home.”

The information was released in response to a parliamentary question from Kildare North Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.

He said it remains unclear whether the initiative has actually brought any tradespeople back to Ireland.

 

 

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