A capacity audience gathered at the Embassy of Ireland’s Grosvenor Place residence on 23rd October, where Ambassador Martin Fraser and Mrs Deirdre Fraser hosted an evening devoted to exploring offsite and other Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The London Irish Construction Network (TLICN) organised the event, bringing together key figures from the construction industry to examine the increasingly important role of offsite and modern construction methodologies in delivering housing, healthcare, education and infrastructure targets across the UK and Ireland.
Ambassador Fraser’s opening remarks highlighted MMC’s fundamental importance to the future of both Irish and British construction sectors, whilst noting the considerable legacy of Irish construction expertise within London’s built environment. The Ambassador’s address set the foundation for an evening of substantial discussion about the transformation of construction methods and strengthening cross-border collaboration.
Sean Daly of The London Irish Construction Network welcomed the packed house to the embassy, noting how the remarkable turnout reflected the construction industry’s growing recognition of MMC’s emerging role in meeting future building demands. TLICN, founded in 2009 by Irish business leaders in London’s construction sector, maintains its commitment to driving business opportunities for members whilst facilitating innovation within the industry.
“Rising costs, skills shortages and ambitious net-zero targets makes this the right moment for Modern Methods of Construction,” notes TLICN Co-founder Sean Daly. “Our network members are particularly well-positioned to tackle these challenges, given the Irish construction sector’s track record of innovation and proven expertise in the London market. With the Irish government’s €8.5 billion commitment to social housing and the UK’s substantial infrastructure pipeline, we’re looking at unprecedented opportunities for MMC adoption across residential, healthcare, education and other sectors. This Embassy gathering demonstrates the wider industry interest in MMC and the need to maintain strong cross-border collaboration as we work to deliver the next generation of sustainable construction solutions.”
Carol Tallon, CEO of Property District, moderated the expert panel discussion, pointing to the fitting nature of the venue as “the home of the Irish in London” and noting the changing story of Irish construction, from one of emigration to one of exporting technical knowledge. The experienced panel included Deborah Smyth, Managing Director of Modular Express Group, who shared insights from a pioneering modular project recently completed in Dublin, underlining the value of collaboration and robust supply chain management in MMC delivery.
Ryan Dempster, Director at Gardiner & Theobald, outlined the considerable scope for MMC across commercial and residential sectors, whilst stressing the importance of creating space within projects for innovation and early validation. Charlie Wiltshire, Senior Design Manager at Sisk, built upon these points, highlighting the essential nature of mutual trust between contractors, clients and design teams in successful MMC project delivery.
A notable moment came as Sean Armstrong from the Department of Housing in Ireland spoke of the significant government backing for MMC initiatives. Sean detailed an €8 billion Department budget, with a €6 billion allocation to social housing, including plans to deliver at least 1,500 units through MMC under the accelerated delivery programme. This commitment demonstrates the Irish government’s robust support for MMC through enhanced resources and standards.
The panel tackled several crucial aspects of MMC implementation, including planning and certification challenges. The discussion addressed prevalent misconceptions about modern construction methods, whilst noting MMC’s core benefits: rapid delivery, programme certainty, consistent quality and inherent sustainability advantages. The conversation then turned to construction’s persistent skills gap, exploring ways to attract new talent to the wider industry.
A clear consensus emerged on the urgency of enhanced collaboration to address both challenges and opportunities within today’s construction industry. The evening concluded with strong recognition of the need for cross-governmental collaboration and continued public and private sector support to fully realise MMC’s potential in addressing current housing and construction challenges.
