Construction Industry

Construction Industry to Push Case for Investment in National Infrastructure at Environment Committee




5th July 2010



The necessity to further the investment in the State’s infrastructure network will be advanced by the construction industry at tomorrow’s (6th) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Heritage and Local Government.



Officials from the Construction Industry Council who represent 45,000 architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and contractors will outline their views on the need to move ahead with national infrastructural projects.



The meeting will take place at 2:45 pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.



This group has already claimed that every €1 billion cut from the National Development Plan costs the Government €501 million in related tax receipts and increased social welfare payments.



Committee Chairman, Sean Fleming TD said;

“The group before us tomorrow believe that investment in infrastructure will help offset some of the job losses in the construction industry and be good value as it will take advantage of the decline in tender prices.



They have advocated for a prioritisation of investment in infrastructure to restore the construction level to its optimum level and help reduce the social welfare bill.



The meeting tomorrow will allow the Committee to question this group as to how in practical terms their proposals would be implemented and at what cost.”