11 December 2014
Report recommendations will rebalance risk transfer and support development of a more sustainable construction sector
Today: The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), the professional representative body for the construction, land and property sectors, has welcomed the publication of the review of the Public Works Contracts.
The SCSI said that the report would ensure a more efficient delivery of Capital Works and deliver value for money for the public on projects which are worth in excess of €2.4bn annually.
The Public Works Contract (PWC) report sets out recommendations for interim amendments to the contracts and a framework for a Medium-term strategy to inform engagement between industry stakeholders.
Paul Dunne, Chairman of the Quantity Surveying Professional Group of the SCSI said “Public construction projects are an important stimulus to the economy and contribute significantly to our growth, economic output and provide important public infrastructure, health, education and transport services.
Public Works Contracts also provide much needed employment in the construction sector. We have seen positive movement in employment in the construction sector of around 7,000 jobs according to the CSO’s data last month, but we must remember that employment has fallen dramatically from over 300,000 back to around 100,000 since 2008.”
The recommendations of the report, which are due to be implemented by Mid-2015, recognise the importance of the bill of quantities and aim to rebalance the risk currently transferred to contractors under the contracts.
“Looking to 2015, we are entering a new construction sector cycle and the implementation of the Public Works Contract report, is another step towards providing certainty and putting the sector on a more sustainable footing for the future’, concluded Dunne.
The report is available to download from the www.per.gov.ie