Ireland’s expanding construction investment pipeline presents an opportunity to make health and safety a central part of project planning and procurement. In its Autumn 2026 Ireland Market View, Arcadis identifies €102.4 billion in departmental capital allocations under the updated National Development Plan for 2026 to 2030, alongside a recovering residential sector and a growing construction workforce. As projects move from investment commitments towards delivery, procurement teams can help establish the conditions for safer work by setting clear contractor requirements, allowing realistic mobilisation periods and integrating safety expectations into project specifications from the outset.

The opportunity is particularly relevant as construction activity increases demand for skilled workers and specialist contractors. Arcadis reports that Ireland’s construction workforce reached 159,300 in the second quarter of 2026, up more than 10% over the previous 12 months. A larger workforce can support the sector’s ambitions, but effective planning, supervision and competency management remain essential as projects scale. For clients and procurement professionals, this means looking beyond tender price to consider relevant experience, training, risk assessments, site supervision and the resources contractors need to deliver work safely. Early engagement with suppliers can also help identify capability gaps before they affect mobilisation or site operations.

Official evidence underlines why these measures matter. The Health and Safety Authority’s review of construction fatalities in Ireland from 2022 to 2024 recorded 23 work-related deaths in construction over the three-year period, with falls from height accounting for 15 fatalities. The review also found that 19 deaths, or 83%, occurred on sites with four workers or fewer. These findings highlight the importance of proportionate safety planning across projects of different sizes, including work delivered by smaller contractors and specialist subcontractors. Procurement processes can support this by requiring credible safety arrangements and checking that responsibilities are understood before work begins.

The wider infrastructure pipeline also creates scope for stronger collaboration between clients, designers, main contractors and supply chains. Arcadis points to major programmes in transport and water, where overlapping projects could increase competition for specialist resources. Coordinating schedules, defining responsibilities and involving contractors early can help teams anticipate operational demands while giving safety considerations appropriate attention during design and delivery. The Government’s updated National Development Plan Construction Pipeline is intended to improve visibility of major projects and their procurement and construction timelines, providing a useful basis for businesses to plan capacity and prepare for upcoming opportunities.

For Ireland’s construction sector, successful investment should be measured not only by the projects delivered, but also by the quality of the process used to deliver them. By embedding health and safety into procurement criteria, strengthening contractor engagement and planning for competent resources, organisations can support safer working practices alongside infrastructure development. As the investment pipeline advances, safety-led procurement offers a practical way to connect commercial value with worker protection and more dependable project delivery.