Construction BUSINESS

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 and medium sized, providing new opportunities for Irish construction companies, according to Maurice Buckley, Chairman of the OPW.

Maurice Buckley was a keynote speaker at the recent 2018 National Construction Summit, which was held recently at the Citywest Convention Centre, Dublin.

Maurice Buckley.

To facilitate the expected doubling of its level of activity in the coming years, the OPW has established three groups – one to oversee major capital projects of €5 million or more, a second for smaller projects worth between €1 million and €5 million, and a minor regional projects group for those less than €1 million. “Procurement is European, so the industry must work with us to take advantage of the opportunities that are there,” he said.

The OPW property portfolio encompasses 3,000 public buildings in Ireland, of which about 2,000 are modern. About €460 million is expected to be invested in the national cultural institutions that are under the OPW’s care. The OPW remit covers 780 national monuments such as Ceide Fields, Clonmacnoise and the Rock of Cashel.

A major area of investment for the OPW is flood risk management. A country-wide programme entailing investment of €1 billion over the next ten years has just been launched. “There are only four or five large projects so there are a lot of smaller projects across the country,” Maurice Buckley pointed out. “This is an area where Ireland is under-supplied. I would strongly encourage the industry to up-gear for that.” He added: “With climate change, this will most likely be increased over future years.”