CIF warns construction jobs in mid-west could be halved

CONSTRUCTION chiefs have accused the Government of rowing back on promises for development in the mid-west, saying there will be “huge implications” for jobs and tourism.

The mid-west branch of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said the Government is dismantling the National Development Plan (NDP) in the region.

The CIF said a number of significant infrastructure projects in the region are nearing completion and it believes it is difficult to see what projects will replace these.

Regional executive of the CIF in the region Conor O’Connell said: “In the mid-west, an area identified as a priority from a regional development perspective, the Government’s cuts are severely impacting on employment in the industry and will further damage the region’s attractiveness as a destination location for foreign direct investment over the coming years.”

The CIF said over the past 12 months 20,000 jobs have been lost in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary as a result of the slowdown in the construction industry.

It said the 15,000 direct construction jobs that remain in the region could be more than halved as a result of the cuts in capital spending.

“Looking down the line, the implications for the region are huge. The need for infrastructure improvements in the mid-west is widely acknowledged,” said Mr O’Connell.

The CIF also said the level of building activity nationally is overshooting on the downside in the same way it overshot on the upside.

It said with demand for houses starting to increase Ireland has a need for at least 45,000 houses a year but will build just 20,000 this year.