More than 50,000 construction workers are urgently needed to fill a 'black hole' in the workforce, if the Government is to meet targets aimed at tackling the housing crisis.
An unpublished report from Solas has identified a significant lack of electricians, plumbers, painters and bricklayers to support the drive for new housing.
It comes as the availability of homes on the market has continued to fall, with just 851 listed for rent on May 1st.
That is down from over 3,600 a year ago and is another all-time low for a research series that runs back to 2006.
The latest rent report from Daft also shows there were just 462 homes available in Dublin - by far the lowest on record.
James Benson is director of housing, planning and development services at the Construction Industry Federation (CIF).
He told The Pat Kenny Show the targets for housing could be getting even higher.
"The target currently for Housing for All is 33,000 homes annually for the decade, and that's quite a task.
"And I would actually argue that that's probably actually a higher figure than that.
"If we look over the last number of years we've under-supplied, when we take into account population growth and demand.
"We also have the additional need now that we need to provide for some of the Ukrainians that have come across.
"So in fact that target could actually be closer to 40,000.
"The National Planning Framework review is about to happen, and it's likely to come into play in the middle of the summer, after the new Census information becomes available.
"So all that could actually change the targets that are currently in place".
Apprenticeship rates
But where will the new workers come from?
James says a group has examined the residential sector specifically.
"To meet that residential demand, they expect 27,000 over the next five years.
"That is quite an ambitious target - thankfully... the latest apprenticeship rates are the highest since 2007.
"That's on a positive trajectory and looks set to increase.
"Another important aspect is our second-level education - construction studies... those students registered in second-level education was at 8,000.
"That has increased now to 11,000 over the last number of years.
"So there is a significant increase in second-level education, and it's from those grassroots that we need to promote".
