Construction Industry Federation warns of ‘permanent low growth’

Significantly increased infrastructure investment — starting in next month’s budget — is needed in order to avoid much of the country, outside of the Greater Dublin area, being saddled with permanently-low growth levels.

That is according to the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the main representative body for the building sector, which outlined its budget wish-list to the Government yesterday.

The body wants a help-to-buy scheme — where the Government takes equity in first-time buyers’ homes — introduced to help solve the housing crisis and key infrastructure projects like the M20 road linking Cork with Limerick (which it said could bring economic recovery to struggling rural communities) built.