With the construction sector taking one of the biggest hits during the recession, International and Irish experts will be keynote speakers at this week’s ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ conference, taking place at Plan Expo on the 4^th and 5^th of November at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin.

 This inaugural two-day conference will be opened by Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources who, along with the other speakers, will be offering informative opinions and insights into how to re-ignite the sector and how embracing eco-technology is the way forward. The conference will be working to create an action plan on how to reposition Ireland as a greener construction sector.

 Amongst the influential speakers will be Elizabeth Francis from internationally recognised Mario Cucinella Architects – designers of the pioneering Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (CSET) in Ningbo, China. Also engineer Niels-Ulrik Kofoed will deliver a keynote address, focusing on Danish expertise in retrofitting multiple housing and commercial units – thought to be one of the most promising areas for growth in Ireland.

 The importance of construction to the Irish economy is reflected in the amount of people who are employed by the sector. In the second quarter of 2009 (April-June) there were 155,400 people directly employed in the construction sector, however this is a startling decline of around 86,000 over the last 12 months and a decline of 127,300 from the peak of employment in the sector in mid-2007.*

 Minister Ryan said,  “Switching to low carbon technologies, will help to restore confidence and create a new economic vibrancy in Ireland. Energy efficiency, retrofitting and green technologies will reinvigorate the construction sector and redirect it on a more sustainable path, providing the jobs and opportunities of the future.”

 Garret Buckley, Joint Managing Director, Expo Events, says, “Over the last couple of years we have seen a huge shift in the construction sector with its decline evident throughout the country. As Plan expo is the showcase are of the building industry, we felt it apt to learn from home-grown and international speakers in order to plan the way forward. Therefore, we want the ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ conference to act as a melting pot of ideas that creates a cohesive action plan to aid future growth. The aim is then to present these thoughts and suggestions to the government and encourage them to help a sector that has for many years played a key role in the buoyancy of the Irish economy.” 

 The conference is jointly organised by Architecture Ireland, the official journal of the RIAI, and Construct Ireland.

 Steering Group chair, Dr Sandra O’Connell comments, “The conference is intended to be an innovative forum for debate and actions. Some of the leading lights in sustainability, architecture and construction form the steering committee and together we will work towards developing a greener future for the sector.”  

 Plan Expo takes place on 3-5 November at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin 4. www.plan-expo.com or www.eco-build.ie.