Vacant properties and the regeneration of older buildings will be studied by two working groups of the Building Industry Consultative Council.

BICC chairman Charles Buhagiar, a former Infrastructure Minister under the previous Labour Administration, said the situation of vacant properties had to be addressed because the construction industry was facing several difficulties. It is estimated there are about 70,000 vacant properties.

He was addressing a seminar that focused on the training needs of the building industry in relation to renewable energy sources and energy efficient buildings.

In the last six years, earnings from the construction industry have dropped by 22 per cent while jobs in the sector decreased by 26 per cent.

He said development applications had halved for a variety of reasons including exaggerated planning fees, which have since been revised downwards, and the permanent residency scheme that had also been addressed with the introduction of the new global residence scheme.

Mr Buhagiar said the large number of vacant properties had to be studied because these had contributed to a slowdown in property sales. A working group, he said, would be looking into this phenomenon and suggesting a way forward.

Another working group will look into the regeneration of older properties with a view that they are incorporated into developers’ plans to turn them into habitable residences rather than build fresh stock. They also have to be energy efficient.

Mr Buhagiar also announced the setting up of three other working groups within the consultative council. One will look into the education aspect of all those involved in the construction industry; another will work towards converting the Building Regulations Office into an authority or an agency and the third will ensure that the industry adheres to EU directives and standards.