Construction Professionals Put Pressure On Executive

Construction industry professionals have delivered a stinging letter to the Northern Ireland Executive, calling for action to save engineering, architecture and surveying jobs, which they say will be necessary when an economic recovery occurs.

A number of bodies representing professional workers published the open letter, calling for the delivery of more public sector contracts, which are currently in the pipeline.

Workers have suggested, by the time a recovery appears, there will be a gap of necessary skills to progress projects.

The Executive could deliver many of the actions within the next 25 days, according to spokesman George Coulter, from the Professional College of the Construction Industry Group.

"The danger is that it takes about nine years to train chartered professionals in sectors such as engineering and architecture," he warned.

"This could result in a general slow-down in the construction of homes, roads, bridges and services such as water supply," he added.

Mr Coulter’s colleagues have urged the devolved government to implement a number of steps within the next four weeks.

Dismiss new procurement methods and return to the previous methods for the time being; redirect major capital finances into infrastructural maintenance; spend all departmental funds this year, or carry the excess over; transfer funds from departments that cannot spend their allocations; revisit scheme currently tied-up by legal constraints, and seek-out a resolution.

Mr Coulter suggested a £719m package for new school buildings has currently been suspended over legal issues.

Mr Coulter said his group had received encouragement from the First Ministers and MLAs sitting on the Regional Development Committee.

Challenging figures on Road Services’ construction spend, Mr Coulter suggested of the £43m spent by the department, £31m had been used on planning, legal expenses, tendering and materials handling.

Only £12m was spent directly on construction.

"What we really want is for our elected representatives to make sure the civil servants keep their noses to the grindstone on these matters," he said.

(PR)