Construction BUSINESS

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has called on the next Government to create a Minister for Infrastructure and Construction to deal with the infrastructure and housing crisis across the Country.

CIF Director General Tom Parlon stated: “We are storing up problems around the supply of housing and infrastructure that will stymie growth.  Our current approach is resulting in a lopsided recovery where Dublin becomes the primary area of economic activity for the country.  This is not sustainable.”

Recently, Dublin has become the 9th most congested out of 200 cities and the ESRI has warned that commuting times will reach Celtic Tiger levels very soon.  Rent and mortgage deposit requirements mean that companies have to pay higher wages to employees simply so they can live in Dublin.  This reduces Irish competitiveness and affects our ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The EU Commission has already stated that our capital spending programme isn’t sufficient to sustain economic growth, and its most recent country report on Ireland stated that the housing crisis could have a damaging impact on the economy.

The next Government must establish a Ministerial portfolio for Infrastructure and Construction to identify and fast-track critical infrastructure projects and solve the housing and homelessness crisis.