The RICS construction report has revealed a decline in the amount of public sector building work taking place in Northern Ireland
Despite an increase in the overall work levels between 1 January to 31 March, a new survey has shown the construction sector in Northern Ireland is lagging behind the rest of the UK.
According to a survey carried out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Survey (RICS) and law firm Tughans, the nation was the only part of the UK that saw public sector construction work fall in the first three months of the year.
The survey also revealed a “worrying decline” in the number of local schools, hospitals, and road contracts, attributed to public spending cuts. Furthermore, it found a construction skills shortage within the Northern Ireland workforce.
RICS Northern Ireland director, Ben Collins, explained the “small uplift” in the overall workloads of the construction sector had been driven by the private sector.
“When it comes to public sector work, though, surveyors are reporting a worrying decline,” he said.
“We understand that public money is finite and becoming more scarce. But we would encourage the politicians to recognise the paramount importance of investing in infrastructure and to prioritise funding capital expenditure where possible.”
Michael McCord from Tughans Solicitors, said: “It continues to be the case that a sizeable amount of the work that local construction businesses are doing is in the English and Scottish markets.
“What we really want to see is the local construction sector experiencing sustained growth within Northern Ireland itself as well, and infrastructure activity is a very important element of this.”
