An Irish trade union leader has called on the government to continue investment in infrastructure and social housing to avert a construction labour crisis, predicted by FÁS.

Responding to this week's FÁS report on the future of employment levels in the sector, the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union's (SIPTU) National Organiser Eric Fleming said the government needs to be more proactive in counteracting the potential loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the building trade.

The union representative also stressed the need for social housing in the country, in such demand from young people unable to get on the property ladder.

Mr Fleming said: "FÁS has increased its projections for job losses in construction very significantly, to over 67,000 workers or a quarter of the total number of people employed in the sector. The Government has no choice but to act now if it is to avert what will be a devastating blow not just to construction but the wider economy.

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"An obvious place to start is fast forwarding infrastructural projects under the National Development Plan such as the eastern by-pass and the outer orbital roads for Dublin. It should also be investing more in social housing for the many young couples who cannot afford to buy their own homes."

He added: "Now is the best possible time to award these contracts and secure the best possible value for money for the taxpayer. It will of course take courage to do so. So will grasping another nettle that successive governments have avoided - curbing development land prices."

"This should be done along the lines of the Kenny report and if that requires a constitutional referendum, then so be it. I have no doubt the vast majority of people would vote for curbs on profiteering because it would force down land prices when developers realised there was nothing to be gained in hoarding.

"With reasonable land prices builders could still make a profit on houses sold at affordable prices. Finally FÁS should be allowed to use the down turn in construction apprenticeships to redeploy resources into upskilling existing workers and providing conversion courses to boost their productivity and employability across the labour market," added the National Organiser.

Last week, Irish Premier Brian Cowen reaffirmed commitment to the NDP, which he said would be progressed in relation to the growth of the national economy.

See: Up To 55,000 Construction Jobs Could Go, Says Report

(PR/JM)