CIF calls for infrastructure investment

THE Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has called for investment in public infrastructure projects through a build and leaseback form of public private partnership as one way of resurrecting the state’s ailing finances.

Employment in construction has shrunk by more than 18% in the last 12 months according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.

In an end-of-year statement, CIF warned Ireland faced “massive” job losses in construction in 2009 unless cancelled public road and public transportation projects were reinstated, labour intensive school and social housing building programmes were brought forward and the proposed national pay deal was scrapped.