The Construction Industry Federation has responded to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council report ‘Ireland’s Infrastructure Demands’.
Hubert Fitzpatrick, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation said: “The report highlights the need for greater progress on Ireland’s infrastructure and housing. We know that improving Ireland’s infrastructure will support investment, housing and jobs, so it is more crucial than ever that water, energy, transport, hospitals, schools and roads are built.
“To meet the needs of the population into the future, Ireland needs a plan-led approach to ensure that critical infrastructure is delivered proactively, ahead of demand and before a critical backlog can build up. The Budget announcement of €3 billion in capital investment in infrastructure was a positive step in providing for greater water infrastructure, houses, and energy. But we stress that capital budgets need to be spent with clear timelines and commitment to delivery.
“The construction industry has the capacity to deliver on Ireland’s infrastructure and housing needs but must have certainty on a pipeline of new work in order to invest in and scale up resources. Uncertainty around investment and delivery timelines in public projects has a detrimental effect on the ability of contractors to retain talent and plan resources.
“We also recommend the continued resourcing of procurement agencies to equip them with sufficient skilled staff to deliver projects. Resourcing the procurement authorities and planning system will be crucial to enabling the delivery of infrastructure and housing developments now and in the future.
“The construction industry has always innovated and is continually working to increase its capacity in line with demand. Innovations such as use of off-site construction and modern methods of construction are building greater efficiencies and productivity gains. With certainly around project delivery and demand, these manufacturing capabilities can scale up.”
