According to the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the forthcoming Budget is an opportunity to remove a number of blockages in delivery of essential housing and infrastructure. The CIF has stated that the delivery of transformative housing and infrastructure requires more effective co-ordination between industry and government in three key areas: investing in skills and R&D, […]
Infrastructure
Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions (GDG), an award-winning specialist firm focused on the delivery of infrastructure projects involving complex and challenging ground conditions, has been awarded the first stage of the European Commission’s SME INSTRUMENT, a support fund designed to accelerate the route to market for innovative SMEs with game changing ideas within their specific sectors. […]
A far-reaching plan for the creation of the Grand Canal Innovation District in Dublin has been launched. The proposal from Trinity College Dublin is modelled on innovation districts in cities such as Boston, Toronto, Rotterdam and Barcelona. It will significantly strengthen Ireland’s competitive advantage when developing new indigenous companies or competing for foreign direct investment. […]
The Port of Cork has marked a major milestone for the company with the launch of the new Cork Container Terminal development in Ringaskiddy. The Cork Container Terminal will initially offer a 360 metre quay with 13 metre depth alongside and will enable larger ships to berth in Ringaskiddy. The development also includes the construction […]
BAM’s construction of the new 23-storey Air Traffic Visual Control (ATVC) tower at Dublin Airport, which is set to become one of the tallest structures in Ireland, is taking shape with the complex installation of a 106 tonne steel ring now completed. The ring, which will form Floor 1 of the control cab, was hoisted […]
ESB and Bord na Móna have announce that financial close has been reached on the €160 million Oweninny project in North County Mayo. The project will be financed with long-term debt from a consortium of banks including the European Investment Bank (EIB), who are providing 50 per cent of the funding, as well as MUFG Bank, […]
Researchers from IT Sligo, together with colleagues from one of Switzerland’s leading universities, have made a discovery about how whirlpools function which has significant implications for how major infrastructural projects are approached and built including energy networks and flood defences around roads and railways. The study of whirlpool fluid flows discovered previously unknown features which are not predicted […]
Hundreds of international delegates interested in the opportunities and challenges facing ‘cities on the rise’ will travel to Cork next month, June 27-30 for the annual congress of the international Academy of Urbanism.
The controversial US ‘ godfather of gentrification’ , Richard Florida, who has been derided by some for espousing a development philosophy that forced working classes […]
Irish Water has recently begun an extensive programme of work to improve water supply and tackle leaks in the network across Tipperary as part of a €500 million national investment in leakage reduction. Current works include replacing over 13 km of old and damaged watermains, removing any lead service pipes found on the public network, […]
Roadbridge has won a Gold Award at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2018 National Site Awards for its North Runway Construction Package 1 project at Dublin Airport. This is a huge achievement for the Irish construction industry, as it is the first project in Ireland to win a coveted gold award following the launch of the Scheme in Ireland […]
The Government has launched a ten-year programme of €1 billion in investment in flood relief measures including a first tranche of €257 million in funding for 50 new flood relief schemes to proceed to detailed design and construction. The Flood Risk Management Plans allow the Government to build on significant investment on flood defence schemes, […]
Of the anticipated €116 billion capital investment provided for in Project Ireland 2040, the Government’s policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland, the Office of Public Works (OPW) will be responsible for between €5 billion and €10 billion of this expenditure. Many of the projects involved will be small […]
The Carbon Trust has announced the launch of BLUE PILOT, a large-scale demonstration project aimed at reducing costs and underwater noise during construction of offshore wind farms as part of the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA). The BLUE PILOT project will deploy The BLUE Hammer, a new type of pile driver developed by Fistuca BV, a Dutch […]
NI Water has announced the completion of the first section of a 3.5 km watermain between Ally Hill Service Reservoir (SR), on the outskirts of Lough Bradan and Doochrock SR near Ederney, as part of a million pound investment to improve and safeguard the local water supply. The new upsized watermain will replace the old […]
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has agreed a Capital Expenditure Programme of over €742 million. The Three Year Capital Programme 2018-2020 will deliver a considerable number of infrastructural and housing projects that are of strategic importance to the County and the Region from both a social and an economic perspective. This will shape the development of […]
The CIF has welcomed the €115 billion investment in infrastructure announced by Government as a potential ‘game-changer for the construction industry, the economy and Irish society’. The announcement was made as part of the Government’s 10-year public capital programme and National Planning Framework.
Tom Parlon, Director General of the CIF, commented: “The significant commitment to infrastructure […]
The Government has published The National Development Plan 2018–2027, the most recent in the series of such capital plans adopted since 1988. The National Development Plan 2018–2027 is an ambitious plan designed to drive Ireland’s long term economic, environmental and social progress across all parts of the country over the next decade. The plan is […]
The construction industry has launched a transition year initiative to facilitate students interested in working in Ireland’s most innovative construction companies. The initiative will see students completing work experience in the offices of construction companies in addition to on construction sites.
Dermot Carey, Director, Safety & Training at CIF, said: “The construction industry has undergone significant […]
NI Water has announce that work has commenced on a £5 million project to improve the sewerage infrastructure in the Ormeau area, which will include Ormeau Avenue, Dublin Road, Bruce Street, Sandy Row and sections of the lower Ormeau Road.
Work commenced on 5th February 2018 on Adelaide Street, with work progressing from the Ormeau Avenue end. NI Water anticipates […]
Ulster Hospital’s new £95 million Acute Services Block, the largest live healthcare project in Ireland, has celebrated its topping out with the last piece of the structure being placed at the top of the building. Led by the GRAHAM-BAM Healthcare Partnership, a joint venture between GRAHAM Construction and BAM, the Acute Services Block is part […]
The Government has announced details of a €417 million investment programme for 2018 for regional and local roads. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, said: “I am very happy to be able to announce a significant and much needed increase in grant allocations for regional and local roads this year. Overall 2018 […]
Policies should aim to rebalance growth by encouraging regional development led by a small number of large urban centres outside Dublin, according to new ESRI research. If the current pattern of growth continues, it will lead to a further gap in prosperity between Dublin and the rest of the country. In Dublin, it will lead to additional […]
NI Water, the Department for Infrastructure, Education Authority and the Department of Education have announced that an innovative new rainwater garden to help reduce the risk of flooding has been completed at Clandeboye Primary School. £70,000 has been invested in the garden, which is an innovative flagship project for NI Water and the Department for […]
The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, TD, has launched the Donabate Distributor Road, which is the first LIHAF project under the Rebuilding Ireland programme to reach the construction stage.
The Minister, along with the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley, and Fingal County Council Chief Executive, Paul Reid, turned the first sod on […]
The National BIM Council has published the first digital strategy for Ireland’s construction industry, titled a ‘Roadmap to Digital Transition’. Over the past 18 months, the council has consulted and researched, both domestically and internationally to offer a vision and direction for the sector that looks to achieve 20% reductions in cost, 20% reductions in […]
Fingal County Council has signed a €70 million Framework Loan Agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) which will trigger a €180 million investment in strategic infrastructure projects within the county’s Capital Development Plan. This represents the first EIB support for county-wide investment in partnership with an Irish local authority for more than a decade […]
Dublin City Council’s South Campshire Flood Protection Project has won the Engineers Ireland Excellence Award in the ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative category’. Following recent extreme flood events, a review was carried out in Dublin city to look at the capacity of the existing coastal flood defences. This identified some areas of the south city as […]
The European Investment Bank will provide €60 million towards development of the NUI Galway campus. The first ever loan to the university from Europe’s long-term lending institution will finance construction of campus developments including new student residences and a new building for the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI […]
Government plans to proceed with the upgrading of the N20 Cork – Limerick road to motorway status – confirmed by An Taoiseach and Cabinet colleagues during their recent meeting in Cork – have been wholeheartedly welcomed by the construction plant and machinery sector.
Birdhill-based Komatsu distributor Michael McHale, managing director of McHale Plant Sales, says: “It is […]
Budget 2018 – CIF Welcomes Increased Investment in Infrastructure at Critical Time For Irish Economy
The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has stated that the measures announced in Budget 2018 will help address the systemic weaknesses in infrastructure investment.
Tom Parlon, CIF Director General, stated: “The Government has taken significant steps today towards insulating the economy from externals shocks today with the announcement of a 17% increase of €790 million in public […]
The Government’s newly published draft National Planning Framework correctly recognises that Ireland’s future is urban – now that appreciation must be backed by ambitious investment in Dublin and Ireland’s other main cities, according to business organisation Dublin Chamber.
Dublin Chamber, which represents companies throughout the Great Dublin Area, commended Government on the production of the draft […]
New figures released this week by the National Transport Authority are at odds with feedback from commuters regarding the impact of new traffic changes in the city, according to business group Dublin Chamber.
The Chamber said that figures showing an improvement in bus journey times between specific points along the north and south quays fail to […]
Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government has announced the further 2017 grant allocations to local authorities for group water and group sewerage schemes, providing an additional €3.676m under the 2017 Rural Water Programme over the interim allocations of €11.696 already announced in June.
The allocations to local authorities, which amount to over €15.372 […]
A new project which has received €2.9 million in funding from the European Union (EU) will be lead by Trinity engineering and business professors. Reducing the Energy Dependency of the Atlantic area Water Networks (REDAWN) aims to lessen the burden on stressed water networks and reduce associated negative impacts on the environment. According to a […]
Ibec has met with political representatives in the North West to set out the key investment and planning priorities for the region, as well as the measures required in the upcoming budget to support the region’s future growth.
Ibec North West Regional Director Terry MacNamara said, “Business will play a critical role in the future economic […]
The Construction Industry Federation has stated that economic recovery in the west of Ireland is being undermined by the Government. The representative body is launching it’s ‘Enhancing Ireland’s Infrastructure’ report – which warns that low investment in infrastructure is a direct threat to economic recovery and balanced regional development.
The report finds that despite talk of […]
The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has called on government to increase investment in infrastructure and to establish a small builders fund to put the construction industry on a sustainable footing. Putting these policies in place will enable regional builders to deliver the essential housing and infrastructure required to deliver targets in the Government’s jobs, regional […]
A CIF report, carried out by DKM Economic Consultants, has proposed an urgent and radical overhaul to how infrastructure is delivered in Ireland. The report warned that Ireland’s historically low levels of investment in infrastructure threatens Ireland’s economic recovery and could undermine growth in other sectors, such as technology, financial services, pharmaceutical, whilst also leading to […]
Engineers Ireland has lodged a series of recommendations with the Department of Finance for Budget 2018. The recommendations include calls for a sustained increase in capital investment towards 2027 and list priority projects to support sustainable economic growth.
Engineers Ireland’s top five priorities for the Budget and public reform are:
Steadily and sustainably increase capital investment, targeting a […]
Ibec has called on the Government to show further ambition in meeting Ireland’s critical infrastructure and demographic needs. Launching the group’s Budget 2018 submission, Ibec said that the Government has more within its power to spend on investment in much needed infrastructure, education and training, if it so chooses.
Speaking at the launch of the submission, […]
Statement from CIF Director General Tom Parlon.
“Whilst a commitment to increase infrastructure investment is welcome; waiting until 2019 to increase investment will consign many of Ireland’s regions to a decade of lost growth, exacerbate social inequalities and continue to see Dublin congest. If it’s a good idea to invest in 2019 to improve the economy and […]
Chamber Chief Executives from across Ireland today met in Kildare to discuss the key issues of importance to Irish business. The message delivered ahead of Budget 2018 and the publication of the Summer Economic Statement was unified and clear; available fiscal space should be focused on capital investment and addressing the urgent infrastructure needs across the […]
The planning process for the largest single project in the Limerick Twenty Thirty programme, which is transforming the city centre into a dynamic economic hub and living space, has commenced. The special purpose vehicle established last year to deliver over €500 million worth of investment infrastructure across four strategic sites in Limerick City will formally […]
According to reports, construction contracts on major regeneration and infrastructure projects have shifted from being highly concentrated on London and the South-east to a more even spread across the country. Previously, London dominated the list of hotspots where the value of construction contracts was highest, according to Barbour ABI and the Construction Products Association. But the construction industry […]
Sisk Steconfer JV has commenced testing the trams on the new Luas Cross City light rail extension in Dublin, the most significant milestone for the project to date. Running from St Stephen’s Green to Broombridge through the city centre, Phibsborough and Cabra, the new line will link the Luas Red and Green Lines.
Construction works for […]
Speaking at this year’s National Construction Summit, Construction Industry Federation director, Tom Parlon said a lack of State spending on infrastructure could make a prolonged recession more likely in the future.
He also warned that a decade of under-investment in vital projects such as roads, schools and hospitals is about to hit home at a time […]
BusConnects, a suite of initiatives to radically transform public transport in the Dublin region, has been launched by Minister for Transport Sport and Tourism Shane Ross and Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority. The ambitious proposals will put bus services at the heart of the solution when it comes to addressing […]
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Séamus McGrath, together with representatives of Cork County Council and Atkins have signed contracts in respect of the Carrigaline Western Relief Road. Atkins will provide detail design services for the project from their local office in Cork.
Martin Jennings, Project Director Atkins commented: “Atkins is delighted to be appointed […]
The European Investment Bank is expected to strengthen backing for transport, education, housing, healthcare and small business investment in Ireland, in addition to examining support for sectors such as exporters and agriculture most affected by Brexit. This is following the meeting of the Ireland-EIB Financing Group held at the European Investment Bank headquarters in Luxembourg […]
Dublin Chamber, the group which represents businesses in the Dublin region, has expressed concern over the lack of clarity regarding how traffic will move around the city once the new Luas line opens later this year. The Chamber, reacting to the publication of new proposals for a pedestrian plaza on College Green, said the piecemeal […]
Preparatory work on the proposed North-South electricity interconnector is set to go ahead after a judge granted EirGrid’s application to vary a stay which had prevented it from commencing work. A number of landowners had opposed the variations, saying EirGrid should await the court’s decision on their full case challenging planning permission for the project […]
Almost 400 business professionals gathered recently to discuss the challenges of Brexit at the Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute’s (PMI) annual national conference at the Aviva Stadium. With the theme ‘Challenge in Changing Times’, this year’s conference, the largest to date, focused on the need for Irish businesses to draw on the strategic competence […]
Businesses in the Munster region have given their overwhelming support to the proposed M20 motorway, with 98% stating it will enhance economic linkages between Cork and Limerick. Initial findings from a Red C Research survey of businesses conducted as part of an ongoing study into the proposed motorway also found that an equal amount believe […]
In a speech at the recently-held Sunday Business Post National Infrastructure Summit, CIF Director General Tom Parlon stated that regional imbalances and a prolonged lack of infrastructural investment are significant threats to the Irish economy. He added that we must remain vigilant about the housing market and be concerned over the fact that Galway has […]
Cork Chamber and Cork Business Association (CBA), the two main business groups in Cork, have endorsed the OPW’s €140 million city flood defence plan. They have also called for further engagement on the finishes of direct defences in certain areas; the use of more glass panels at certain locations and fast-tracking of construction.
The Save Cork […]
The new Census figures released by the CSO today show that investment in public infrastructure is now more important than ever, as our population continues to increase. Ireland’s population stood at 4.76 million in 2016 an increase of 3.8 per cent since 2011.
Ibec’s Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Fergal O’Brien stated: “Our growing population […]
The Magazine – Construction Summit
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