Fianna Fáil ‘loses friends’ over contracts move

THE Government’s decision to force through fixed price tendering for massive public sector construction contracts has lost Fianna Fáil “a few friends”, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.

Delivering the keynote address to the IMI’s National Managemenmt Conference, the Taoiseach said the Government is reforming public sector construction contracts.

In an unscripted aside he said: “This has lost us some friends” - a clear reference to the traditional support Fianna Fáil has received from the construction sector in the past.