€4.55bn education and research capital spend drives construction pipeline one year into Government term
PPP campuses, student accommodation, research facilities and skills funding underpin sustained built environment activity nationwide
22 January 2026 | 📧 editor@breakingground.news
One year into the Programme for Government, capital investment decisions by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are translating into a substantial pipeline of construction, real estate and infrastructure activity across Ireland’s education and research estate.
A total of €4.55 billion has been secured under the revised National Development Plan for education and research-related infrastructure. This includes €2.45 billion for research and innovation facilities and €2.1 billion for higher and further education buildings, confirming the sector as a major driver of public capital delivery over the medium term.
Delivery under the Higher Education Public Private Partnership programme is now well advanced. Six PPP buildings were completed and became operational by the end of Q2 2025, representing construction costs of approximately €250 million excluding VAT. Contracts for a further five projects were signed in June 2025, with construction commencing immediately. These projects carry an estimated construction value of €380 million excluding VAT and will provide capacity for approximately 8,500 additional student places.
Student accommodation has emerged as a defined strand of capital delivery. Funding of €67 million has been secured for 493 new on-campus student beds at University College Dublin, while the first completed project under the short-term activation plan delivered 116 beds at Maynooth University in September 2025. A new national Student Accommodation Strategy covering the period 2025–2035 is due to be published in early 2026, setting the framework for future State-supported delivery.
Beyond universities, progress continues under the Further Education and Training College Major Capital Programme. Eight projects are currently at pre-tender stage, with site acquisition advancing on remaining proposals, supporting regional skills provision and local construction activity.
Significant capital commitments are also emerging from the research and innovation agenda. The €750 million INSPIRE Research Infrastructure Programme has been launched, and Government approval in January 2026 for a major expansion of the Tyndall National Institute will more than double its physical footprint. The expansion, backed by an investment of over €100 million, will proceed through University College Cork’s capital governance structures and represents a major construction project in its own right.
Skills investment closely aligned to construction delivery has also increased. Apprentice numbers rose by 5% year-on-year to more than 31,000 across 78 programmes, supported by over €410 million in annual apprenticeship funding under Budget 2026. The unlocking of €1.5 billion from the National Training Fund surplus, including €650 million in capital funding, further strengthens the connection between workforce capacity and infrastructure delivery.
Reflecting on the first year of delivery, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless said his Department has responsibility for more than 60 Programme for Government commitments and has delivered “strong delivery and meaningful impact” across infrastructure, research and skills.
For the construction and real estate sectors, the first year of the Programme for Government confirms education, training and research infrastructure as a core and sustained source of project demand, with multi-billion euro commitments now moving from policy into procurement and on-site delivery.
