Dick Clerkin, Managing Director of Clerkin Consulting and champion of Ireland’s offsite sector, talked to us about the growing momentum building across the country, which is being reflected by the continuing success of MMC Ireland.

As the demand for housing and infrastructure continues to grow, the construction industry is under increasing pressure to innovate and improve efficiency. In Ireland, the offsite/MMC sector has emerged as a promising solution, offering faster and more efficient ways to build.

In the UK, large-scale investments have sometimes struggled to deliver long-term stability, especially over the last two years. Ireland’s more measured approach meanwhile has allowed the sector to expand steadily without the same level of financial risk. With MMC Ireland playing a key role in supporting and advocating for the industry, momentum is building. The sector has seen significant growth, with more companies embracing offsite and modular construction.

“There is a lot of optimism around the potential for Ireland’s construction industry to continue its trajectory towards MMC,” says Dick. “MMC Ireland, which acts as both a representative and a lobby group on behalf of its members, has been growing exponentially. I think this expansion is evident in the increasing number of members, and this will likely be reflected at the upcoming conference in March, which has seen year-on-year growth.”

A flourishing sector
Political, financial, and regulatory factors will determine how MMC evolves, making it essential for both industry leaders and policymakers to align on a long-term vision. But why has MMC flourished in Ireland while encountering setbacks elsewhere? And what is next for the Irish sector? While the growth has been positive, it will inevitably encounter hurdles if key challenges are not addressed.

Dick says the formula for success will invariably involve continued focus on the domestic market, while ensuring there is a key pipeline of work. He says: “What members are really looking for now is to move beyond the general discussions about MMC and its broad potential. The focus needs to shift towards identifying and addressing the key challenges that will unlock MMC’s full value from an Irish perspective.

“While we often look at what is happening in the UK and the US, it is important to remember that construction is inherently a local solution. Ireland has its own unique political landscape, policies, planning requirements and financial structures that will determine which types of MMC will work best. It is these country-specific factors that will ultimately shape the strategies and plans for the sector.

“For MMC companies in Ireland to succeed, they need confidence that if they invest in facilities, there will be a consistent and reliable pipeline of work to sustain them. Without that certainty, growth will always be limited. The challenge now is ensuring that both industry stakeholders and policymakers create the conditions necessary to support long-term investment in MMC.”

Bigger is not always better
The offsite housing sector in the UK has faced many difficulties in recent years – particularly in the volumetric modular space – with high-profile businesses that started out as disruptors exiting and industry with significant financial and employment losses. This is contrasted by the Irish market, which has seen fewer high-profile failures and appears to be steadily growing.

“In the UK, the sheer size of the market often led to large-scale investments in MMC facilities, sometimes to the tune of tens of millions, based on the assumption that the demand would be there to justify those expenditures,” explains Dick. “In Ireland, such large-scale investments were never really an option. As a result, MMC companies, whether they focused on offsite or modular construction, started with more modest setups and grew steadily and incrementally over time.”

A cautious approach to growth and learning from the mistakes of others seems to be the secret, as Dick adds: “Ireland has benefited from being a smaller market, which in many ways has kept the sector from overextending itself. This cautious and organic approach has helped Irish companies weather the occasional downturns over the past 12 to 24 months. Since they never over-invested to the same extent as some UK firms, they have been better positioned to ride out market fluctuations without taking on excessive risk.

“Irish MMC firms have also had the opportunity to learn from the UK’s experience, both the successes and the challenges, allowing them to refine their own strategies accordingly. In many ways, the limitations of the Irish market have acted as a safeguard against the pitfalls of scaling too quickly. While UK firms may have had greater opportunities, they also faced greater risks. In contrast, the more measured approach in Ireland has provided a level of resilience that has allowed the sector to continue growing despite broader economic uncertainties.”

Overall, the offsite sector has faced its fair share of challenges over the past few years, but Ireland seems to be ‘weathering the storm’ well. To find out more about how Ireland is doing it, Dick Clerkin will be appearing alongside a wide range of industry colleagues at the MMC Ireland National Conference, being held at the Johnstown Estate 11-12 March 2025 to further analyse the ongoing success stories and learn how to continue this upwards trajectory in the future.

For more information visit: www.mmcireland.ie/national-conference