Thousands of construction workers are considering leaving Ireland as building sites remain closed.
It comes as six British firms actively recruit Irish workers for major projects across the UK.
Due to Brexit, Irish workers are ideal candidates for British jobs.
Irish workers are exempt from new requirements that other EU citizens have to face.
@LeoVaradkar a lot of ground workers from Irish construction companies leaving to England due to the lockdown restrictions, where pay and conditions are higher. A bargain for the English builders! You won’t see them coming back soon...Thank you minister Leo
— grolman (@grolman6) March 12, 2021
Director General of the Construction Industry Federation, Tom Parlon, says this "massive recruitment campaign" is worrying.
He fears it will lead to a skills shortage on Irish sites.
He says be keeping Ireland's constructions sites shut, "we're shooting ourselves in the foot".
Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the Irish Plant Contractors Association, Brian Coogan, says some people are being offered more than double their current wages in the UK.
"These people who have left these shores in the last few weeks are now running into thousands of euro and its starting to stack up."
He fears Ireland is losing some very talented minds.
Many construction projects will not return until after the 5th of April with the easing of restrictions set to be limited.
