Building Ireland’s future needs more engineers

Fehily Timoney & Company is shaping the Irish landscape with award-winning projects like the €215m Dunkettle Interchange upgrade, yet managing director Sinéad Timoney warns that the pipeline of talent is running dry. While the firm celebrates Project of the Year and British Geotechnical Association wins, it faces a stark reality: civil engineering graduate numbers are half what they were during the boom. For Timoney, the solution lies in attracting students into engineering courses and reforming pricing structures to better value the profession.

The firm’s growth story is impressive, with a 35% expansion over five years, a workforce now 47% female, and 13 nationalities represented – a strong testament to its focus on diversity and inclusion. Operating across sustainable infrastructure, renewables and circular economy projects, Fehily Timoney continues to prove its technical excellence while calling for urgent government investment to address housing, energy and climate crises.

Timoney is clear: the world needs engineers. Without enough talent entering the profession, Ireland risks falling behind in delivering infrastructure that sustains and protects its future.

Read the full interview with Sinéad Timoney to explore what’s next for engineering in Ireland.