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Industry Warned Of Long Term Damage By Hazardous Substances On Construction Site

Posted by on October 29, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

The Construction Safety Week 2018 campaign focused on the health issues associated with working with hazardous substances. Dermot Carey, Director Safety and Training, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said: “This focus on working with hazardous substances, is in line with our realisation that we need to be conscious of health as well as safety. Generally, substances […]

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Construction Industry Highlights Dangers of Working Close To Utilities

Posted by on October 29, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

The construction industry highlighted the dangers of working close to utilities such as water, electricity and gas during Construction Safety Week. Dermot Carey, Director Safety and Training, with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said: “Today we focus on the danger posed by working close to utilities – watermains, electricity and gas. Three of our sponsors […]

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Budget Must Remove Blockages In Housing, Infrastructure And Education – CIF

Posted by on September 14, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) stated that solving the housing crisis requires more effective coordination between industry and government in three key areas: investing in skills and R&D, enhancing infrastructure delivery and removing barriers to sustainable housing delivery. This statement followed the CIF’s official pre-budget meeting with the Minister for Finance and officials earlier today. […]

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Recognitions Of Qualifications Are A Barrier To Diaspora Construction Workers – CIF

Posted by on June 6, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

“We should be building bridges not walls for the construction diaspora to return because the industry needs their skills and expertise to deliver housing and infrastructure” The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has identified a number of barriers deterring Irish emigrants with construction expertise from returning home. Since 2016, the CIF has highlighted a potential shortage […]

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Apprenticeship Model Requires Upgrade To Address Construction Skills Shortage

Posted by on May 17, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

A survey conducted by Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) on behalf of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has found that Ireland lacks the requisite number of apprentices in construction to meet our housing and infrastructure needs. Some 86% of construction companies are experiencing issues as a result of an inadequate supply of qualified tradespeople and this figure […]

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Room To Improve Inspires €1.7 billion Spend On Home Improvements

Posted by on March 22, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

Irish homeowners have spent €1.737 billion in total through the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) since its launch in 2013. This incentive has facilitated homeowners throughout the country in carrying out 107,386 home improvement projects over the last four years. These projects throughout Ireland have had an average spend of €16,187 per project, providing a huge […]

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First Female Chairperson Elected To CIF Galway Branch

Posted by on November 23, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

The CIF would like to congratulate Tara Flynn of Paul Flynn Construction Ltd. on her election as Chair of the CIF Galway branch. Justin Molloy Regional Director, Midlands and Western Region said: “In an industry that is trying to encourage more women to take up careers in construction it is good to see that the […]

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Construction Sector Group Heralds New Era For Irish construction

Posted by on October 12, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) today welcomed An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s endorsement of a new Construction Sector Group involving industry and a number of key Government Departments. Hundreds of leaders from across the Irish and international construction industries attended the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Annual Conference in Croke Park today, to discuss the industry’s potential […]

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Regional Housing Crisis May Continue Until At Least 2021 – CIFThe CIF met with the Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe and Minister for State in the Department of Finance Michael D’arcy earlier today to chart a way past blockages in the supply of critical residential, specialist buildings and infrastructure. The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) presented radical initiatives to increase investment in infrastructure and to establish a small builders fund to put the construction industry on a sustainable footing and to prevent the boom/bust volatility in the sector. CIF’s analysis, supported by DKM consultants and Construction Information Services, shows that 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 development, housing and FDI strategies. Without these measures, economic activity will continue to concentrate in Dublin, resulting in congestion in the capital and economic and social stagnation outside the greater Dublin area. The industry has stated that initiating planning stages for major projects now would enable a quicker turnaround to the benefit of Ireland’s rapidly growing population and economy. This staged investment can be carried out within the limits of the fiscal space. The CIF repeated its request that the Government utilise measures available to increase the fiscal space such as the structural reform clause. Regional Director, Conor O’Connell said: “Minister Donohoe has a firm grasp of the issues we’re facing in the industry and the knock-on impacts on housing supply, homelessness, regional imbalances, social inequality and increasing house prices. Within the constraints faced, the Minister has delivered a number of key initiatives such as the help to buy scheme and the local infrastructure fund to move housebuilding forwards. In private residential, in Dublin mainly, we have seen these measure lead to an estimated 20% increase in output. It’s not enough to meet demand but it’s a significant step. The trick is now to develop initiatives to increase output across the housing spectrum including social and affordable. We’ve confidence that Minister Donohoe is approaching these issues in a pragmatic way. We suggested the Government establish a National Infrastructure Commission with responsibility for analysing the long-term infrastructural needs of the Irish economy and society, which will depoliticise infrastructure policy. DKM’s analysis showed only €350million available for new construction of infrastructure up to 2019. All stakeholders now believe that the Government has capacity to invest more to the benefit of the economy and long-term job creation. Ireland is currently last of the EU27 in terms of this type of investment, spending less than 2% of GDP on infrastructure. We must increase the rate of investment to 4% of GDP over the period 2018-2021.” According to the CIF, the commencement of planned contributions of €500 million per annum to the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ in 2019 should be redirected to investment in infrastructure for the period to 2021. The CIF is also calling on the government to retain The Help to Buy (HTB) scheme, a significant contributor to the recent growth in residential construction activity. “Private residential housing output has grown by 45% nationally over the past few years. So, measures put in place in this area are making a difference. The HTP scheme has had a supply side impact on the first-time buyer market – with housebuilders again now able to acquire funding for building traditional starter homes. The recent statements about the abolition of the HTB scheme are unhelpful and are reducing confidence of lenders to provide development finance to builders for this type of housebuilding. If starter homes aren’t being built, first time buyers continue to rent, live at home, or enter the second home market. The problems we are seeing in terms of homelessness, increasing rents and social housing waiting lists all stem from this overall lack of supply. House-price inflation is being driven primarily by an overall scarcity of supply and within the second-hand home market. An early withdrawal of this scheme would have a detrimental impact on confidence and the ability of house builders to maintain and increase their residential building programmes.” The document also recommends that the government provide a fund for small builders who cannot access finance for viable construction projects Regional Director, Conor O’Connell said; “As it becomes viable to build houses outside the urban centres, small builders will not be in position to secure finance. Currently, traditional sources of finance such as the banks are not able to lend to these regional SMEs, often 3rd generation family businesses, to deliver the relatively small housing projects required to replenish the stock of towns outside the greater Dublin region. How can we build a balanced regional economy if small housebuilders cannot access finance outside Dublin? This issue has the potential to derail the Government’s housing strategy and its ambitions for regional development. The fund would only apply to builders where there is real demand and traditional sources of finance are not available.” The CIF also contends that the government should amend the 7-Year Capital Gains Tax Exemption, which encourages the retention of property with no incentive to develop the land purchased during the relevant period and is also calling for the immediate restoration of a 100% tax deduction of the interest expense incurred on loans to acquire/ develop residential property for rental purposes.

Posted by on September 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

The CIF met with the Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe and Minister for State in the Department of Finance Michael D’arcy earlier today to chart a way past blockages in the supply of critical residential, specialist buildings and infrastructure. The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) presented radical initiatives to increase investment in infrastructure and to establish […]

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CIF Proposes Radical Overhaul In How Infrastructure Is Delivered In Ireland

Posted by on August 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

“We need to invest more in infrastructure now to solve the housing crises, maintain FDI levels and reduce social inequality. The National infrastructure deficit may lead to systemic failures in Irish economy and society”- Tom Parlon, Director General, CIF A CIF report, carried out by DKM Economic Consultants, has proposed an urgent and radical overhaul […]

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