The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has called on the Government to address the country's poor infrastructure, which the group claims is hindering attempts to solve the housing crisis.

In a pre-budget submission, CIF said that "extensive investment" in the construction of housing, roads, water treatment facilities and more is required in October to rectify the situation.

This would also allow fuel economic growth and help employment, it argues:

"An increase of €1 billion in construction spending yields 10,000 new construction jobs."

As an example of the opportunities that are being missed due to inadequate funding, the group pointed to zoned land in Dublin that could accommodate 13,000 new homes but cannot currently be developed due to a lack of roads, water and waste infrastructure.

CIF also highlights the likes of the Shannon water supply scheme, the Galway City Outer Bypass and the Dunkettle Interchange as projects that could deliver returns for the State, advising that it is a good time to invest.

The group wants an independent infrastructure commission to be established to decide how to prioritise spending, and for tenders and public-private partnership contracts to be made more accessible to small and medium-sized contractors.