There's a warning that Ireland is "nowhere near" meeting the demand for housing.
A new report from the Think Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC) with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) suggests the construction industry could be unable to meet pent-up demand even when fully reopened.
It says the construction sector was recovering from the last downturn, but the pandemic has "thrown a spanner in the works".
The report says the industry is still facing issues around productivity, labour shortages and job stability.
It also argues that the Government needs to prioritise addressing a "boom-bust cycle" affecting construction.