There's been a surge in students applying for courses in construction, according to this year's CAO figures.

That means third level points are due to go up next month in higher degree studies linked to the built environment.

The revived interest is due to the recent economic recovery.

It appears there are enough jobs to meet the demand, with the Construction Industry Federation hiring at a rate of around a thousand people per month.

Overall the CAO has seen an extra 20 per cent apply for construction linked courses, nursing is up by 9 per cent, while engineering and technology are up by 7 per cent.

Point decreases are likely in dentistry, agriculture and arts degrees.