The Official Magazine of the Construction Industry Federation
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CONSTRUCTIONTHE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FEDERATION NOVEMBER 2017 A NEW ERA FOR CONSTRUCTION CONS_Nov17_OFC.indd 1 24/11/2017 15:43 Ad Place.indd 1 14/11/2017 16:16 hroughoutE thisDITORIAL year Construction has reported for swi action to make these plans operational if the on what industry experts and those from further opportunity is to be seized. a eld see as the essential elements required for the In this issue of Construction, our cover story looks back construction sector to meet the needs of the Irish at CIF Conference 2017, with its theme of ‘Realising the economy in a sustainable way, and in doing so break Construction Industry’s Potential to Build Ireland’s Future T the sector’s boom-bust cycles of the past. ‘and asks how will the construction industry meet the needs At this year’s CIF Annual Conference, An Taoiseach Leo of the country in the years ahead. Minister for Finance Varadkar TD endorsed the establishment of a Construction and Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe TD Sector Group which will bring together Government speaks exclusively to Construction on what his rst Budget Departments, State Agencies and industry to plan for will mean for the Construction Industry and the Irish future development in the country. is is one of those vital economy. We also bring you in-depth Budget 2018 analysis elements. from CIF experts. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s rst Budget Construction Safety Week 2017 has been the most in which he looked to address housing successful to date, with a record number of shortages and nance for builders, as well contractors and workers participating. We as set infrastructure development on a solid bring you some of the highlights of the week. An Taoiseach Leo footing, is another essential element. We also talk to Cleary Doyle MD Brian Byrne, Varadkar TD and Minister e much-anticipated publication of who recently completed 11 years as Chair of for Housing, Planning & Ireland 2040 Our Plan the National Planning the South East Branch. Local Government Eoghan Framework in December should further Elsewhere in this issue, we bring you all the Murphy TD at the CIF galvanise the industry, but will certainly give latest CIF News, Events and Industry Analysis Conference 2017. a clearer picture of Government development as well as Industry News. C plans in the years ahead. While it is great to see all these elements Robbie Cousins coming together, there is an urgent need Editor Foundation Media Ltd, YOUR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FEDERATION TEAM - WWW.CIF.IE Foundation Media Construction House, ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH: CIRI - www.ciri.ie Sandwith House Canal Road, Dublin 6. Jeanette Mair CIRI: Lorraine Hosty 52-54 Sandwith Street Tel: 01 4066000 MAIN CONTRACTING: CIRI CPD OFFICE: Robert Butler Lower Fax: 01 4966953 Martin Lang, Alison Irving AFFINITY SCHEMES Dublin 2 Email: [email protected] SPECIALIST CONTRACTING: Safe T Cert Dermot Carey P: +353 1 677 3157 Twitter: @CIF_Ireland Sean Downey, Gillian Ross Affi nity Cover Conor O’Connell, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & Justin Molloy, Gillian Heffernan Editor: Construction House, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: CQAI Robert Butler Robbie Cousins 8 Montpellier Terrace, Jean Winters, Cheryl Treanor Economic and Policy Research Email: robbie@ The Crescent, Galway. EASTERN REGION: Executive Jeanette Mair foundationmedia.ie Tel: 091 502680 Fax: 091 584575 Hubert Fitzpatrick, James Benson Magnet Renee McManus Email: [email protected] SOUTHERN REGION: Commercial Manager: Conor O’Connell, Ronan O’Brien CERS: Frances McNally Joe Connolly Construction House, WESTERN / MIDLAND REGION: Tel: 01- 407 1434 Email: joe@ 4 Eastgate Avenue, Justin Molloy Email: [email protected] foundationmedia.ie Little Island, Cork. SAFETY & TRAINING: Tel: 021 4351410 Dermot Carey, John Egan MILESTONE ADVISORY: Editorial Design: Fax: 021 4351416 LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: Susan O’Mara Alex Lifeson Email: [email protected] Robert Butler Tel: 01- 406 8021 MEMBERSHIP: Email: [email protected] Printing: PRESIDENT: Dominic Doheny Renee McManus, W.G. Baird DIRECTOR GENERAL: Tom Parlon Bernardine Walsh CWPS: Brigid Finn CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: FINANCE / ACCOUNTS: Tel: 01- 406 8025 Publisher George Hennessy Gabriel MacGrath Email: [email protected] Foundation Media Ltd COMMUNICATIONS: DIRECTOR / EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Dempsey, Joanna Kiernan HOUSING & PLANNING: ICT SERVICES: Hubert Fitzpatrick, Lorraine Hosty Denis Cadogan, Paul Brady November 2017 CONSTRUCTION 01 CONS_Nov17_Con/Ed P01-03.indd 1 24/11/2017 15:48 14 22 REALISING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY’S POTENTIAL TO BUILD IRELAND’S FUTURE 33 NOVEMBER 2017 CONSTRUCTION CONTENTS 5 CIF NEWS 47 CIS UPDATE – PROJECTS IN THE 58 CECA ANNUAL DINNER The latest news and views from CIF PIPELINE FOR 2018 CECA President Renews Call For Long Term Infrastructure Plan COVER STORY 48 BUDGET 2018 – KEY MEASURES 14 REALISING THE CONSTRUCTION CIF Economic & Policy Research 62 INAUGURAL JOINT M&ECA AND INDUSTRY’S POTENTIAL TO BUILD Executive Jeanette Mair outlines what ACEI CONFERENCE IRELAND’S FUTURE Budget 2018 measures mean for the What the future roadmap for the Irish Construction sector 64 JONES ENGINEERING WINS ALL construction sector should look like IRELAND SUPREME SAFETY AWARD 52 GOVERNMENT SHOULD ADDRESS 2017 18 NPF WILL UNDERPIN FUTURE THE REGIONAL JOB ISSUE ONCE AND BALANCED REGIONAL GROWTH FOR ALL 66 GREAT WESTERN MOTORWAY Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Cleary Doyle MD Brian Byrne calls for CYCLE MARKS OPENING OF M17/ Reform Paschal Donohoe TD talks exclusively a focus on more balanced regional M18 TUAM TO GORT MOTORWAY to Construction about Budget 2018 and development before it is too late Government plans overhaul Ireland’s spatial INDUSTRY NEWS plans CORPORATE PARTNER FOCUS 67 NEWS OF DEVELOPMENTS FROM 53 FEXCO FUND PROVIDING €70M THE WIDER INDUSTRY PROJECT FEATURE IN FINANCE FOR CIF SME MEMBERS 22 WINTHROP – CENTRAL BANK M&E FIT 71 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY OUT SAFETY FEATURE Don’t miss a thing 56 HEALTH & SAFETY: A SUB- CATEGORY FOCUS CONTRACTOR’S PERSPECTIVE 72 TRAINING 25 WE NEED A CAPITAL PROGRAMME A look at the CIF training schedule WITH CLEAR PROJECT TIMELINES EVENTS Leading Civil Engineering fi gures outline solutions 57 IHBA WORKSHOPS ADDRESS to addressing Ireland’s infrastructure defi cit HOUSING SECTOR CONCERNS SPECIAL REPORT 67 33 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY WEEK 2017 Highlights from the most successful Construction Safety Week campaign to date INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 43 PENSIONS Susan O’Mara looks at private pension coverage 58 in Ireland November 2017 CONSTRUCTION 03 CONS_Nov17_Con/Ed P01-03.indd 2 24/11/2017 15:49 Ad Place.indd 1 14/11/2017 16:08 CIF NEWS SMART INVESTMENT NOW CAN BRING FORWARD A PIPELINE OF WORK FOR SECTOR A message from CIF Director General, Tom Parlon s we enter the final weeks of difficulty in accessing finance to fuel 2017, the scale of what has been viable construction projects. We have achieved by our industry this year consistently made the case that the is coming into focus. We’ll have housing and infrastructure gaps cannot added 12,000 new employees into be addressed if companies cannot Athe industry, and the value of construction secure finance. Our survey and ongoing output generated in 2017 will reach €18bn engagement were instrumental in (7.4% of GNP). This is a solid performance, securing €750m in funding in the budget but the headline figures mask underlying under the new agency Homebuilding challenges that our industry faces in 2018. Finance Ireland. I was also very pleased Travel down the motorway out of to see that Government listened to our Dublin, and you will pass thousands of industry’s concerns and maintained the construction employees going in the other Help to Buy scheme. direction to work. Outside the Greater All eyes were on the future of our Dublin Area (GDA), you won’t see cranes CIF Director General industry at the CIF Annual Conference holding up the skyline or sites being Tom Parlon on 12 October in Croke Park, where we prepared for essential housing. In 2018, welcomed an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar the CIF will continue to highlight that the TD and Minister Eoghan Murphy TD gap inherent in our two-tier economy is minimal disruption on sites around amongst a number of very impressive widening. Ireland while making the case for sensible international and national speakers and As we predicted in 2016, the recovery and sustainable rates and conditions in thought-leaders on the issue. will not occur outside Dublin by itself; the the industry. An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s Government must intervene strongly and October was a very busy month for endorsement of a new Construction immediately. With an election likely next CIF with the Budget, the CIF Annual Sector Group involving industry and a year, we will be pushing Government to Conference and Construction Safety number of key Government Departments deliver more activity outside the Dublin Week. in his address was a very welcome and area by bringing forward investment for In the budget, the Government important step, not only for our industry, preparatory work in civil engineering took some significant steps towards but for our country. projects, increasing the amount of finance increasing investment in infrastructure Finally, I would like to say a very available to construction companies and announced a 17% increase in public heartfelt thank you, congratulations and outside the GDA and by ensuring public capital expenditure. The CIF is currently well done to every member company sector contracts are fairer. making the case that staving off this that took part in Construction Safety This year saw the Government accept investment until 2019 is damaging. Smart Week 2017, which ran from 23 – 27 the Labour Court’s recommendation for a investment now in preparatory work can October. This year companies of all sizes sectoral employment order. Overnight, its bring forward delivery dates for major and sectors put in a huge effort to help introduction has seen a minimum of 10% infrastructure projects and provide a us drive home the health and safety increase in wages across the board with the pipeline of work for our Civil Engineering message.