CONSTRUCTION the official magazine of the construction industry federation
november 2015
Activity Jobs Solutions
CIF Conference 2015 January/February 2015 CONSTRUCTION 22
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EDITORIAL O This month’s cover taken by Conor McCabe on 1st October 2015 at Croke Park, Dublin
ctober was a busy month for the construction sector. It started with the CIF Annual Conference – our comprehensive coverage starts in page 28 – where there was much talk about the capital spending programme that had been announced two days earlier. Fast forward two weeks and Budget 2016 promised much but delivered little for a housing sector in need of some state sponsored intervention. Director General Tom Parlon gives his reaction on page five while the full details of the new capital plan are published on page 11. The title of the B(C)AR seminar in Athlone later in the month – Where are we now? – accurately summed up the feelings of many within the industry. Over 200 CIF members attended the event organised by the Western & Midland Region branch. Our fourpage coverage commences on page 15. Over in London Digital Construction Week attracted a strong Irish presence keen to learn about the technologies that are changing the industry.
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Construction House, 4 Eastgate Avenue, Little Island, Cork. Tel: 021 4351410 Fax: 021 4351416 Email: cifcork@cif.ie PRESIDENT: Michael Stone Director General: Tom Parlon Chief Operations Officer: George Hennessy
The launch at the Irish Embassy heard how BIM is the future for construction. Read more of what happened in London, starting on page 12. Last but certainly not least, we take time to congratulate our World Skills team who travelled to Brazil in August to represent Ireland in a range of skills, many relating to the construction sector. DIT stalwart Martin Syned writes about the trip, turn to pages 50 and 51 for more from Martin. C
MAIN CONTRACTING: Martin Lang, Alison Irving SPECIALIST CONTRACTING: Sean Downey, Gillian Ross INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: Jean Winters, Cheryl Treanor EASTERN REGION: Hubert Fitzpatrick, Noel O’Connor SOUTHERN REGION: Conor O’Connell WESTERN / MIDLAND REGION: Justin Molloy SAFETY & MANPOWER SERVICES: Dermot Carey LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: Robert Butler, Laura Dennison MEMBERSHIP: Renee McManus FINANCE / ACCOUNTS: Gabriel MacGrath COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING: Anne Cleary, Rosalind Travers
CIRI CIRI OFFICE: Jeanette Mair CIRI CPD OFFICE: Robert Butler affinity schemes Safe T Cert Dermot Carey Affinity Cover Joe O’Brien, Justin Molloy, Gillian Heffernan CQAI Robert Butler Register of Heritage Contractors Jeanette Mair Imagine Renee McManus CERS: Frances McNally Tel: 01- 407 1434 Email: info@cers.ie MILESTONE ADVISORY: Susan O’Mara Tel: 01- 406 8021 Email: info@milestoneadvisory.ie CWPS: Brigid Finn Tel: 01- 406 8025 Email: info@cwps.ie
DIRECTOR / EXECUTIVE TEAM HOUSING & PLANNING: Hubert Fitzpatrick, Noel O’Connor, Jeanette Mair
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 01
05
CIF NEWS Awards and Budget reaction
CONSTRUCTION
CONTENTS
5 CIF NEWS
november 2015
47 CECA DINNER
Awards and Budget reaction
Report and pictures from annual event
12 DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION
49 CIRI
News for London summit
How CIRI is working for Collen
15 BCAR SEMINAR
50 WORLD SKILLS
Report from Athlone conference
report from Brazil
21 IMTECH SUIR
52 CIS REPORT
Talking to management team
What to expect in 2016
29 ACCIDENT REPORTS
53 FLEET MANAGEMENT
Are these reports privileged?
What the industry is driving
27 Pensions news
57 NISO AWARDS
CWPS is 50
Happy construction winners
31 COVER STORY
58 TRAINING
CIF Annual Conference 2015
All the CIF courses
45 PENSIONS UPDATE
12 59 INDUSTRY NEWS Stories from wider construction sector
63 DIARY CIF meetings and events
64 LAST FIX Numbers, stats, facts & figures
CPAS Finance Bill update
15
50 27
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 03
CIF NEWS
Aggressive intervention required says CIF Speaking to RTE in the immediate aftermath of the Budget announcement, CIF Director General Tom Parlon said that although there was a “wide appreciation” of problems facing the house-building sector, the new budget had “plastered over the issues”. “We needed something aggressive but that hasn’t transpired yet,” he said. “It’s too big an issue to ignore,” he added. The CIF had been hoping for a reduction in VAT and developer levies, amongst other items on its pre-Budget wish list. In the one major construction-related announcement, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, said NAMA will build 20,000 homes by 2020. “It is clear that there is a market failure in the provision of new housing across the country but particularly in Dublin,” he said. “Driven by demographic demands and strong economic growth, there is a requirement for a minimum of 10,000 new units per annum in the Dublin area but the market only delivered 3,300 units in the last year. “NAMA is aiming to deliver a target of 20,000 residential units before the end of 2020. 90 per cent of these units will be in the greater Dublin area. About 75 per cent of these units will be houses, mainly starter homes. NAMA will deliver these units by working with developers. “Achieving this new target by the end of 2020 means delivering on average 80 new housing units every week across some 100 active sites. “This commitment will require funding of the order of €4.5 billion, which will all be recovered, and will support 30,000 house building and ancillary jobs based on peak funding.” According to Tom Parlon a Dublin-based couple with a combined salary of €80,000 will remain unable to purchase a home. “While we welcome the provisions that NAMA can provide 20,000 houses between now and 2020, this will only deliver to 4,000 units per annum, which equates to
At the CIF Annual Conference on 1st October in Croke Park, were: (L-R) Kilkenny hurling legend Henry Shefflin, CIF Director General Tom Parlon, CIF President Michael Stone, Mary Buckley, IDA Ireland, Conor Owens, Maples and Calder (event sponsor), Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin and DIT apprentice Patrick Geraghty from Tallaght. Full coverage of the conference begins on page 28. only 25% of broadly acknowledged annual national demand, he said. “There are no proposals to address the issue of costs of providing new homes, the availability of affordable development finance, or the availability of mortgages. We are concerned that this may be a lost opportunity to support the construction of much needed additional homes to meet sustainable demand.” In further reaction Threshold, the national housing charity, has strongly criticised this year’s budget for failing to introduce rent certainty measures to help address the
current homelessness crisis. Commenting today, Senator Aideen Hayden, Chair of Threshold said: “The budget did not contain promised housing measures that Threshold had called for in its pre-budget submission. While we understand that talks are on-going between the Department of the Environment and Department of Finance, we are very concerned that without the immediate introduction of rent certainty measures, an additional 700 families may become homeless between now and Christmas due to excessive rent increases”.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 05
Promoting careers in construction
T
he CIF has launched a series of videos aimed at promoting the construction industry to school leavers. The idea for the videos came from the Manpower,
Education & Training Committee within the CIF, arising from concerns there was a general lack of information available for students. The CIF has partnered with careersportal.ie where more information
about the construction sector, as well as the videos, is available. http://www.careersportal.ie/
(l-r) Martin Syned, former lecturer in painiting and decorating, DIT Bolton Street and long-time champion of National Skills, with Dermot Carey, Head of Safety & Manpower Services, CIF
(l-r) Daniel Cowley and Oisin Murphy from Sisk, who both appeared in the carpentry video (l-r) Liam Flynn, Colin Butterly and John Sweeney from Collen Construction. Colin is a site manager with Colleen who qualified through the trade route. (l-r) Eugene Hughes and Mark McGuire from Designer Group at the video launch. Mark appeared in the electrical apprentice video.
Apprentice ‘Silver Trowel’ award presented by G&T Crampton Our picture shows David O’Callaghan receiving the ‘Silver Trowel’ award from Philip Crampton. The award is given to the winner of the bricklaying competition at the Ireland Skills competition. David works for Ahern Bothers in Youghal. The ‘Silver Trowel’ award is sponsored by G&T Crampton.
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SDC Trade Taster Course South Dublin County Partnership is running a ‘Trade Taster Course’ for people interested in becoming apprentices. This 13-week course, which started in September, will provide participants with a practical, hands-on learning experience, an insight into the apprenticeship model and discover if this may be a career path they would like to pursue. Upon successful completion of this course, students will: • Have had an enjoyable, practical, hands-on learning experience • Have sampled various skilled trades e.g. carpentry, plastering, plumbing, car mechanics, etc. • Understand the process involved in undertaking an apprenticeship (Guest speaker from SOLAS) • Receive a QQI level 4 certificate in Home Repairs and Maintenance • Receive a SafePass and Manual Handling certificate • Receive their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) e.g. protective boots, hard hat, hi-vis vests, etc. • Have developed the skills, attitudes and behaviours required to succeed in securing employment or completing further education • Have made employer links in the local area
Paul Walsh, ARCO, student Doreen Peirce, Henry Pender, B&Q and Kay O’ Connor, SDC
• Receive one-to-one support and advice in career planning and/or further education or training • Have a written personal action plan outlining their next steps upon course completion
CIF member firm, ARCO, kindly sponsored the participants’ PPE gear. B&Q offered the use of its training facility in the company’s Liffey Valley branch.
SNPS win CSP innovation award
Paul Kelly (centre), King & Moffat, receives the CSP Safety Representative of the Year award from CSP Chairman Peter McCabe. Also in attendance was King & Moffat Safety Manager Katie Drumm.
08 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
SNPS has won the CSP innovation award for small firms for its safety net tracking software. The company has over 4,500 nets in operation and net traceability – where it’s been used, yearly certification – is crucial to the company’s safety offering. Pictured at the award presentation are (l-r) Brian Higgison, Assistant Chief Executive, HSA, Noeleen Downes, Health & Safety Manager with SNPS, Anita Sharkey, Director, SNPS, Peter McCabe, Chairman CSP, Fergus Whelan, ICTU and Dermot Carey, Head of Safety & Manpower Services, CIF
Supporting Pieta House as Christmas season approaches In April this year, Pieta House and the CIF launched a partnership with the aim to highlight the high level of suicide within the construction industry and to develop initiatives to help tackle the problem. “To date, we have produced a comprehensive report detailing the level of the problem that suicide is amongst Irish construction workers, we have delivered several talks on selected sites and drafted campaign leaflets with some very helpful information,” says David Mitchell from Pieta House. “We have also attended branch meetings across the country to raise awareness of the campaign. In November we are rolling out a specifically tailored workshop aimed towards safety officers. The goal of this workshop is to equip safety officers with the knowledge and confidence to deliver toolbox talks on the area of suicide prevention and positive mental health,” he adds. This is a unique programme and will have the effect of reaching out to the very core of the workforce. “Pieta House is heavily reliant of the efforts of fundraisers and donors. With only 12% of our funding coming from statutory sources, we rely on fundraising and donations the generate the other 88% of our funding. “With this in mind, and with Christmas on the horizon, we would ask that you would be so kind as to consider supporting Pieta House as part of your Christmas giving. Every euro makes a huge difference and we are hugely appreciative of any support you could
Brian Higgins, CEO Pieta House, Tom Parlon, CIF Director General and CIF President Michael Stone at the ‘Mind our Workers’ launch, April 2015
offer towards the Mind Our Workers campaign,” says David. Tom Parlon writes: “As I said back when we launched this campaign back in April, the industry can’t ignore the problem of suicide – there is a necessity to take steps to try to help those in need. Given the amount of time people spend in the workplace that is where the Mind Our Workers campaign will focus. By promoting a more open approach amongst construction workers and their colleagues we hope it might reduce the number of people who feel they have no way out. Over the course of the past six months, CIF members firms have welcomed Pieta House into their sites to talk with staff about being mindful of colleagues and looking out for them during stressful times. What is important is that we as an industry engage on this problem and we
all work towards creating greater awareness amongst everyone in the sector. All CIF members have a part to play in helping promote this initiative. I would encourage you all to work with the CIF and Pieta House in promoting ‘Mind Our Workers’ throughout your company and amongst your colleagues and friends. By simply taking a few minutes to talk to our colleagues and offering them a friendly ear, who knows what kind of impact we all could have. This work needs to continue and that’s why I’m asking you to help fund the on-going efforts to Mind Our Workers! #mindourworkers Should you wish to support Pieta House, please contact David Mitchell, david.mitchell@pieta.ie
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November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 09
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Capital plan: broad welcome but timeframes required There has been a broad welcome for the Government’s capital programme plan from the construcion sector. Central to the plan is the creation of 45,000 construction jobs. “The increase in construction jobs and infrastructural projects announced by the Government is a welcome injection of much needed long term investment in the construction sector,” said the CIF. “Worth €27 billion, the significance of this programme to the construction industry is reflected in the fact the announcement will generate in the region of 45,000 direct jobs.” Tom Parlon, Director General of the CIF, did caution that “the undertakings announced will need to be accompanied by a detailed breakdown of the planned investment programme per region, and concrete timeframes to provide the certainty that the construction industry now requires”. Speaking to RTE, Dr Stephen Kinsella, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Limerick, broadly welcomed the capital programme, saying there were no “silly” capital projects like the “Bertie Bowl”. He mentioned the schools building programme as being particularly important with the use of data analysis to determine where schools should be built based on projected populations increases. Tom Parlon said the infrastructural investment contained within the plan is “essential” to attracting and retaining toplevel foreign direct investment (FDI). “While the quality of infrastructure in Ireland has been improving, we still lag behind the OECD average, dropping four places to 24th in 2015. Further investment in water treatment, commuter rail, and residential construction will ensure our competitiveness on a global scale. “The civil engineering sector has taken a significant hit in recent years as the delivery of infrastructure under the capital spending programme budget decreased. Previously public spending represented about 50% of the activity in the sector, so the massive spending cuts over the years really hit the industry hard and added to the severity of construction job losses.”
Southern Regional Director with the CIF, Conor O’Connell, said the capital programme will address some significant infrastructural bottlenecks in the Cork region. “The Dunkettle Interchange, the N28 to Ringaskiddy and the Macroom Bypass are critically important transportation projects for the Region and we are delighted that they are included in the public capital programme,” he said “It will allow the Region to advance to the next stage of our economic development. The N28 and the Dunkettle Interchange facilitate further industrial development in Ringaskiddy, stage three of the Port of Cork development in Ringaskiddy and the relocation of port activities to Ringaskiddy, which in turn frees up lands in the Docklands and other areas for development. They are vital projects for everyone in the Region and simply must proceed.”
Where (some of) the money is being spent Transport (€8.1 billion) * The €2.4 billion, 16.5km Metro link from Dublin city to the airport and on to Swords is the largest single project. * The Dart line will be extended to Balbriggan. * Planning will begin on extending the Dart to Maynooth and to Hazelhatch. * Phoenix Park tunnel will be reopened. * More than €4.4 billion will be spent on road upgrades. * €1.6 billion will be spent on new road projects. Education (€3.8 billion) * The delivery of 19,000 extra primary school places by 2018. * An additional 43,000 secondary school places by 2022. * A programme to replace existing prefab school buildings with permanent classrooms and facilities. * Funding for refurbishment projects, site acquisitions and emergency works. * €210 million will be spent on upgrading school information and communications technology systems.
Enterprise (€3.01 billion) * More than €1.1 billion will be set aside to support business and jobs through Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices * €1.25 billion will be invested in the agriculture sector.
Healthcare (€3.06 billion) * Investment in infrastructure, including the new National Children’s Hospital at St James’s Hospital in Dublin . * The reorganisation of national maternity services, including moving the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent’s campus. * A new National Forensic Mental Health Services facility in Portrane, replacing the Central Mental Hospital. * New specialist intensive care rehabilitation units at Galway, Cork and Portrane. * New cancer care departments at Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.
Housing (€3 billion) * The provision of 35,000 additional social housing units by 2020. * Addressing the housing needs of 75,000 households through new rental opportunities in the private market. * The investment of €300 million in social housing under public private partnerships, which is expected to deliver 1,500 additional units. * Nama will facilitate the completion of 4,500 new residential units in the Dublin area by the end of 2016.
Source for list: The Irish Times
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 11
Embracing a digital future
During October, representatives from Ireland’s construction, engineering and architectural professions travelled to London for Digital Construction Week. Brian Foley reports from the UK capital.
Dr Alan Hore from CITA at the BIM Ireland pavilion
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igital is the future and for the construction sector digital means Business Information Modelling (BIM). Enterprise Ireland deem it important enough to throw its considerable weight behind supporting BIM initiatives. “Enterprise Ireland view the digitisation of the construction process as an essential tool for improving the quality and reliability in the built environment,” it said in a press release sent to media. At the launch of Digital Construction Week at the Irish Embassy in London, Enterprise Ireland announced: “To accelerate the growth of the BIM industry in Ireland Enterprise Ireland have announced a new two year BIM partnership with Construction IT Alliance (CITA)”. Stephen Hughes, Construction Manager
12 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
at Enterprise Ireland said: “With this strategic partnership, in support of a National BIM Implementation Steering Committee, we hope to further encourage the wider Irish construction industry to realise the benefits that can be enabled through the adoption of BIM processes and technology. It is a key deliverable of this partnership that through research and consultation both domestically and internationally, through discussion with industry and the third level that we will deliver a strategy for the wider and deeper implementation of BIM in Ireland.” Alan Hore, Founding Director, CITA, said securing the BICP funding is a significant milestone in the maturing of CITA “as a go to place for leading international research and consultation capability in the pursuit of excellence in the specialist area of Building Information
Modelling and its applicability for the Irish AEC sector”. Kevin Rudden, President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) announced the Construction Industry Council (CIC)’s vision for the industry, which brings together six Irish major industry bodies to lead and accelerate Ireland’s transition to digital for the sector. These include The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), Association of Consulting Engineers Ireland (ACEI), Engineers Ireland, Construction Industry Federation (CIF), Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) Engineers Ireland and the Building Materials Federation (BMF) in Ireland. The ACEI President said the CIC was embracing a BIIM enabled world. “CIC actively encourages the Irish
digital construction
Kevin Rudden, President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, speaking at the Irish Embassy
Owen Sisk presenting at Digital Construction Week Construction and built environment sector to continue to take full advantage of current and emerging information and communication technologies to remain at the forefront of the industry in Europe,” he said “The CIC views BS1192, PAS1192 and BS8536 as important routes towards standardised BIM implementation.”
Survey
The first Irish national survey to benchmark the level of Building Information Modelling (BIM) adoption in Ireland reveals there is a 75% increase in demand for BIM, with 67% indicating a confidence in the industry to deliver BIM effectively . Following the recommendations of the Construction Strategy 2020 and the UK Industrial
Irish Ambassador to the UK Dan Mulhall Strategy ‘Construction 2025’ that the increased adoption of digital technology will lead to improved outcomes in terms of cost, programme, carbon reduction and global exports, Enterprise Ireland has announced that they will place a bigger emphasis on this growing opportunity. Enterprise Ireland were industry partners for Digital Construction Week and in addition to hosting the opening reception supported a BIM Ireland pavilion at the Digital Construction Show. Over the two days, the BIM Ireland pavilion showcased Ireland’s transition, alongside the international capability and innovative technology from a portfolio of leading companies. CITA will hold a BIM Gathering in Dublin on November 12&13th at the Gibson Hotel. More details at www.cita.ie C
The Irish Ambassador to the UK, Dan Mulhall, officially opened the BIM Ireland pavilion at Digital Construction Week. He said BIM was proving to be “highly sophisticated” for the British construction sector. “We believe BIM will further the interests of Irish construction on the international stage,” he added. “This is a once in a generation opportunity and cannot be achieved without industry support.” Alan Hore from CITA, spoke about how BIM in Ireland is heavily influenced by the UK decision to mandate BIM in all public projects by April 2016. He called for a BIM implementation forum “in the very near future”. Speaking about the survey conducted to ascertain Irish attitudes to BIM, Dr Hore said they found engineers were the most receptive to BIM, with architects second, construction professionals third quantity surveyors the least receptive to change. The main barriers to change are cost and training, the survey found. The CIF was represented at Digital Construction Week. Sean Downey CIF Director Specialist Contracting attended the launch at the Irish Embassy while Thomas White from Mercury Engineering spoke at the BIM Ireland stand about his company’s experience with BIM. Mark Danaher from Kirby Group gave a presentation about advances in the prefabrication of M&E services utilising BIM. Owen Sisk from John Sisk and Son spoke about his company’s use of BIM in the conservation and restoration of the Burlington Project at the Royal Academy of Arts.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 13
BC(a)R
BC(A)R – where are we now?
All roads led to Athlone when the Hodson Bay Hotel played host to the CIF Western & Midland Region Building Control Seminar: BC(A)R, 18 months in – where are we now? A huge amount of information was shared with recurring themes touching upon collaboration, education, the constant raising of industry standards and that recent opt out for one-off houses. Martin Foran reports.
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IF Midland Branch chairman Gillian Murtagh said the Midlands and Western Region recognised that – while being completely supportive of BC(A)R – there were problems, as these were being discussed around regional branch meetings. The members believed an afternoon event made sense at this time and, going on the over 200-strong attendance, their judgement was proved right. The event was supplemented with a broad range of information and advice on topics including industrial relations, pensions and finance, services and insurance and CIRI (Construction Industry Register Ireland) – which would feature in many presentations on the day. Getting things underway, CIF President, Michael Stone said BC(A)R affects all in the construction
Martin Vaughan, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government, Paul Carey, CIF Galway Branch Chairman, Michael Stone, CIF President, Gillian Murtagh, CIF Midland Branch Chairman, Dominic Doheny, CIF Senior Vice President industry. “As president of the CIF I am proud of the collective position we have taken on BC(A)R,” he said. “We have been proactive and progressive in our support for this increased level of regulation and certification despite the additional layers of administration,” he added. “We have taken this position because we know it is the right thing to do.” “It is right for the industry to be proactive in its support for new and enhanced standards. It is important that the industry is seen to adopt this position.” Michael Stone was the first of many on the day to raise the issue of a recent exemption in relation to oneoff builds. “Our federation lobbied extremely hard to prevent
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 15
BC(a)R Delegates at the conference
this happening and are very disappointed it went ahead,” he said. Chief executive of the Housing Agency John O’Connor also referred to the recent opt out stressing that there are still significant obligations. Yes, there is an option, in relation to oneoff houses and extensions, to opt out of the certification, he noted, but the home owner, in order to opt out, must sign a declaration of intent. They are opting out of having statutory certificates, of appointing an Assigned Certifier and of the inspection plan in terms of it not being required to be submitted, he pointed out. However there are still a number of requirements. John O’Connor gave an overview of relevant legislation and regulations in this area. The key elements of building control regulation, he noted, are:
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Commencement Notices; Fire Safety Certificates for certain building work; Disability Access Certificates and, new items: Design Certificates which are now required; Notice of Assignment by owner of Assigned Certifier and Builder – completed by building owner at the start; Certificates of Undertaking by Assigned Certifier and Builder; Completion Certificates; Inspection Plans and then public register of notices and certificates. He noted that there are big responsibilities on the building owner. “Ultimately it is the building owner who is responsible to ensure that the building that they have built or work they have carried out is in accordance with the building regulations,” he said. Rhoda Kerins project manager, LGMA, gave a fascinating introduction to the Building Control Management System. Here, all data is collated centrally and this enables easy extraction of statistics and analysis of information.
I believe the conference was a great success. With over 200 people registered there was an appetite for clarity around some of the recent changes to BC(A)R. Congratulations to all the team in CIF. We extend our thanks to all the delegates from across the country who attendeD
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Gillian Murtagh – CIF Midland Branch chairman (Shay Murtagh Precast)
Fran Havelin, Irish Cement with Shay Murtagh, Shay Murtagh Precast
The system shows the activity taking place from many perspectives. It enables often complex information to be assimilated quickly, providing a comprehensive overview whereby detailed pictures can be formed. Attendees where shown for example, the Commencement Notices for this year to date, and also for last year. They saw an increased level of activity for 2015. At the end of the year this will probably amount to a doubling of building activity over 2014 it was suggested. It is also possible to observe details such as the types of professions involved in projects. Over 50% are engineers for example. One can also look at materials and building types and other aspects.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 17
Justin Molloy, Western/Midlands Regional Director, CIF, David Lowe, David Lowe Construction & Susan O’Mara, Financial Services consultant with Milestone Advisory
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We were asked to prepare a system that would facilitate the online entry of the Commencement Notices. The fact it’s a central system means we can pull statistics for the whole country. It gives a great picture of what is happening.
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Rhoda Kerins – project manager, LGMA
The conference was a terrific opportunity for the industry in the area here to get the most upto-date information from key speakers about the operation of the building control regulations. It was a valuable opportunity to gain such insight. It was all very, very positive.
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Hubert Fitzpatrick – Director Housing, Planning & Development, CIF One of the key elements here is that people can continue to submit supporting documentation that they may need – they can keep adding to this. The system allows the user to use it when it suits them, noted Rhoda. Martin Vaughan assistant principal officer,
Seamus Brady, Castle Ceilings & Partitions Ltd. and Michael Stone, CIF President
Architecture & Building Standards Section, Housing & Planning division, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government, described the management system as a “powerful game changer”. On the regulations, Vaughan observed that, “at the end of the day if you can live within
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the confines of the building regulations and BC(A)R – if you can operate within that model – you probably have a safe, sustainable business model. “If you can’t operate within those, you probably don’t.” Regulation is there to protect us all, added Vaughan. In terms of the Department’s view of where we are after 18 months, Martin Vaughan said they feel the new building control arrangements are working well in practice and will develop further and bed down in time. “We now have a regulatory model that will lead to a safer built environment and an industry that works on principals of quality and compliance,” said Vaughan. “BCAR is already driving a cultural change.” Commenting on the opt out he said while
I think it’s very important we have this review. We want to ensure work is designed right and built right and we should focus on the actual physical work and getting it right as opposed to bureaucracy and the paperwork.
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John O’Connor – Chief Executive Officer, Housing Agency 18 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
BC(a)R Tadgh O’Connor, Irish Water
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there was the opportunity to opt out of the statutory certification element of SI.9 it was important to stress that no one has an ability to opt out of building regulations. There are still significant obligations under BC(A)R that apply. Elsewhere, Vaughan also noted that CIRI was working very strongly as a voluntary model and that the legislation is drafted and ready to go to government and will do so very soon. Paul Carey, Managing Director of Carey Building Contractors, outlined how the regulations were not so different to what was already familiar. The core elements of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations had not changed, he noted, stressing: “BC(A)R is here to stay and it is good for our industry, bringing safety and quality to the forefront”. Said Carey, “we are all still dedicated to what we do and want to achieve the highest standards. We shouldn’t be afraid of BC(A)R,” From his perspective Paul Carey noted
The regulations are here. They are positive for the industry. CIF and the industry itself are embracing them and supporting them 100%. The conference has been very informative for our members. It went very, very well.
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Michael Stone – President, CIF
how he was beginning to see a unity and consistency from Assigned Certifiers. Referring to the opt out, Carey wished to state publically his “total dismay that the relaxation of the BC(A)R for one-off private dwellings is nothing short of a disaster on many fronts”. Mr Carey believes that “a two-tier system” will emerge, he said. “I believe that certain developers will continue to use BC(A)R fully on residential works – one-off houses – and that even clients will decide to do that,” he said. Carey stressed, “I believe if someone is building a house and they go the BC(A)R route and someone nearby builds a somewhat similar house and doesn’t do so and if those two houses go for sale some years later, the house with the BC(A)R is going to be worth a lot more.
“I think in the high-end market of houses certainly all clients will want to continue with BCAR.” Tomás Hansberry, an associate with AECOM gave a presentation entitled: Assigned Certifier Role – The Experience to Date. Tomás provided the lead role for AECOM’s delivery of the independent tester service on the Schools Bundle 2 and Schools Bundle 3 PPP projects. With the introduction of BC(A)R in March 2014, Tomás’s experience on the independent tester role was invaluable to AECOM’s Assigned Certifier team both in terms of understanding the role and providing practical guidance on delivery of
The main message I’ve seen coming out of this event is that it is still a learning process eighteen months in. I think people would be willing to pay a nominal fee for small round table workshops around the country. That would help to train people.
’’
Paul Carey – founder, Carey Building Contractors
that role. From his own experience on the initial stages of the new regulations Tomás recalled noting liability fears from the consultants’ point of view – the idea of personally signing as Assigned Certifier was a big issue. “That has been washed out at this stage,” he noted. “You are signing on behalf of your company. The company is taking on the liability.” Tomás had also found client awareness to have been an issue at the initial stages. Furthermore, there was no general inspection plan format. Again that is starting to settle down. In the final presentation of the day, Standard Details, Tadhg O’Connor, policy and standards specialist, New Connections and Developer Services, Asset Programmes, Irish Water, told attendees about how New Connections and Developer Services is developing a suite of technical documents including codes of practice, standard details and specifications. Their aims include streamlining new connection processes; providing national guidance documentation; ensuring consistency of design, materials and workmanship and outlining design and construction options to developers for the provision of water services infrastructure. O’Connor’s talk was the last in a fascinating series of presentations outlining yet another perspective with clarity and insight. “I believe the conference was a great success,” Gillian Murtagh told Construction, following the event. C the crowd Judging from the reaction of the feeling was unanimous.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 19
Imtech Suir Engineering
Imtech Suir Engineering has over 30 years Electrical, Mechanical and Instrumentation expertise with many blue chip clients in sectors including commercial, health and social care, manufacturing and industrial, science and technology and utilities. It has undertaken various projects at data centres, power stations, pharmaceutical and food and beverage facilities and within the renewable energy industry. With a directly employed workforce of more than 700 people, with offices in Dublin and Waterford, Imtech Suir Engineering completes projects worth ₏100m revenue annually. Although it’s primary focus is on the Irish market, Imtech Suir Engineering has delivered numbers successful projects throughout Europe and currently has a strong presence in Saudi Arabia. Our focus is on operational excellence through design and delivery of innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions for our clients.
U n i t 9 a , C l e a b o y Bu s i n e s s P a r k , Old Kilmeaden Rd, Waterford Phone: (051) 359 500 W e b : www . i m t e c h . c o . u k
imtech suir
Imtech Suir enters growth phase after eventful year
The Suir name has long been synonymous with quality and building long-term relationships with clients. Brian Foley spoke to some of the team to gauge future plans after what has been an eventful year.
W
hen 80% of your business is repeat customers, you must be doing something right. That nugget of information comes from Imtech Suir Engineering Managing Director Mick Kennedy as he explains why the company is feeling optimistic about the future. “We’ve added another 80 people to the workforce during the summer,” he says, adding that Imtech Suir is gearing up for a period of “managed growth”. Speaking with senior management at Suir, it’s evident that retaining staff is key to the company’s success. “People stay with us, they serve their time and come up through the system,” says Mick Kennedy. “Part of our strength is that we develop our own
people.” The fact Imtech Suir added 80 new staff to the roster is impressive, considering minds were possibly elsewhere during the summer months. David Phelan, Business Development Director with the company, explains what happened. “Earlier this year, in July, Imtech Suir was hit with an unexpected period of uncertainty. This was caused by their parent company Imtech, based in The Netherlands, going out of business,” he says. Imtech’s German business was experiencing difficult trading conditions for a number of years and when the banks decided not to support them any longer they ceased trading, which ultimately pushed their parent company into administration.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 21
A period of uncertainty turned into an opportunity, says David. Within days of the news breaking from Europe, Mick Kennedy and Paul Kavanagh, his counterpart in the UK, received the support from the senior management team to carry out a management buyout. In September of this year and with the financial backing of corporate investors, Endless, Imtech Suir UK management purchased the shareholding from Imtech, moving the company back to private ownership. “Imtech Suir is now part of a £450m business with offices throughout the UK as well as Waterford and Dublin,” says David. They have strong cash reserves and are ideally placed to take on the large projects, which are coming to the market in the coming months in Ireland. In addition, this new structure allows Imtech Suir to grow their business in the UK as well as internationally. Throughout the buyout process all of Imtech Suir’s customers stuck with them and in fact supported them along the way. The management team remains intact. One of the management team is Operations Director Patrick Aylward, who says the power and energy sectors account for approximately 20% of the business. “Wind farms will be huge over the coming three years,” says Patrick. “Our first project was the Lisheen wind farm on the site of Lisheen Mines in Tipperary, which included a 110kv contestable sub station.” Patrick explains there has been a move towards private development of sub stations, which are then handed over to the ESB. “We’ll do it faster and the developer retains control of his project,” he explains. “We build to the ESB configuration and they get an asset for the grid.” He says Imtech Suir has gained “huge” expertise in the sector over the past decade. Another ‘first’ for the company was constructing 13km of overhead power lines at the Bogra Mountains wind farm project in 2008. “We were the first private firm to design and build overhead power lines,” says Patrick. Clients include large private developers, SSE and the ESB. At present the company has three live projects - two in the Galway ‘wind park’ for SSE worth €13m and one in Cork worth €7m. Imtech Suir’s experience in the wind farm sector has stayed under the radar, says Patrick, and he goes on to explain that many people don’t realise Imtech Suir is involved in this line of work. “We’re gearing up for a busy few years, Ireland is set to double the amount of wind farms over the next five years,” he says. The expertise Patrick speaks about
22 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
At work in the Jazz Pharmaceuticals facility in Athlone
imtech suir The new stand at Anfield Stadium, as viewed with BIM software
The Imtech Suir office in Waterford
BIM – virtual construction While some companies have yet to be convinced about the merits of BIM (Business Information Modelling), Imtech Suir has embraced digital technology and is now an enthusiastic champion of BIM. Joe Murphy, Design and Innovation Manager with Imtech Suir, says the company’s BIM journey began almost four years ago. “We were lucky,” he explains “that clients were keen supporters of the move to BIM. They saw we were putting huge effort and resources into BIM, including training all our staff, and while other companies were paying ‘lip service’ to the idea we were fully embracing the concept.” Tom Murphy, Project Manager for Imtech Suir, says clients appreciated the investment the company was making: the thinking was: ‘if trades are putting that much effort in we need to stick with it’. There was a cultural shift that had to be made but Tom says tradespeople were soon convinced of the advantages using BIM brought to the job. “They soon realised that BIM wasn’t about replacing them or cutting back on work. ‘We won’t lose work, this will help everyone and allow us access to a bigger market’ was the attitude,” he says. Joe explains BIM can be only be successful if there is “proper dialogue and understanding between the BIM designer and trades. There needs to be a good flow of information between them. That’s key to making BIM work”. Joe says there is another term for BIM that better explains the system. “I call it ‘virtual construction’, which is really what BIM is,” he says. “It gives you the opportunity to build the project where you can make all the mistakes in a virtual setting, so that in ‘real’ world all the problems have been solved. “BIM is virtually building the project.” Tom Murphy says BIM is about creating a template – something that takes time – but when completed can be replicated with a consequent time and cost saving. That initial investment of time at the start is crucial, he says. “Quality inputs are critical for quality outputs.” Both men say BIM cuts out the
guesswork and that every member of the project team benefits. “Not only does it help us, but it’s of huge benefit to the client,” says Tom. “He knows every cost and understands exactly which stage the project is at.” Through hard work and an understanding of what BIM could provide, Imtech Suir came to be viewed as industry experts. Joe mentions that companies such as NASA, Audi, Microsoft and IBM have visited the company to see how they implement BIM projects. Successful completion BIM projects convinced Imtech Suir that BIM would be part of the company’s future. “The size of Imtech Suir helped,” says Joe, explaining that gaining access to the senior management team to convince them of the merits of BIM was easier than it might have been at other companies. “BIM won’t work unless you have management behind it,” says Joe. “It’s well known that the UK has a BIM mandate for 2016 (where all public projects will have to engage BIM) and people might think the UK is miles ahead of Ireland in terms of BIM expertise, but that’s not the case,” says Joe. “No company can match us for BIM expertise here or in the UK,” he says, citing the new stand at Anfield as an example of the work Suir is doing in Britain. In fact, Imtech Suir provides all the BIM expertise for Imtech UK. “We’ve driven BIM development in Ireland to the point that Imtech Suir is at the leading edge of BIM implementation,” says Joe. He mentions the Irish Diary Board project in Mitchelstown, which is the first Imtech Suir job in Ireland that is being managed through BIM. Ultimately, Imtech Suir grew through its innovative use of BIM, creating a knowledge school of excellence along the way. That knowledge, in the shape of the large numbers of staff now trained and with practical experience, works on other projects in the UK and Ireland, spreading the BIM message. “It can be fragile bringing a new process into the construction sector,” says Joe. “But we’re now at a stage where clients on fully on board, they see the merits in terms of time and cost savings. BIM is a win-win.”
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 23
imtech suir Imtech Suir staff on site at the Jazz Pharmaceuticals facility in Athlone
covers all sectors, not simply wind farms. Mick Kennedy says Imtech Suir’s strength comes from the fact at its core is the ability to deliver – “that thinking runs right through the organisation”.
Sector experience
Since its inception 35 years ago, Imtech Suir has gone from strength to strength. It has a direct work force of almost 700 working across the business. It has extensive experience in delivering highly complex, mission critical projects safely and on budget across the following sectors:
Pharma
Imtech Suir says it is the number one company delivering electrical services in Ireland, as well as a growing mechanical services sector. Ireland is fortunate to have all of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies based here and Imtech Suir have worked for them all. To date, they have delivered projects for the likes of Pfizer, Amgen, GSK, Genzyme, MSD, EirGen, Allergan, Jazz, Regeneron and Johnson & Johnson. “Our experience in the general manufacturing and industrial sectors means we are well-equipped to deal with the challenges it brings,” says David Phelan.
Science & Technology
Imtech Suir have considerable experience in designing and building complex projects for specialist, advanced environments such as high-tech research facilities and data centres. They have delivered numerous data centres for confidential clients in Ireland across Europe.
A Lean vision Leo Doherty, Project Manager with Imtech Suir, is in charge of the company’s Lean strategy. Over 20 years with Suir, Leo is testament to the fact that many of the staff are ‘lifers’. “Sure, people are slow to change,” he says when explaining how they went about convincing staff about the benefits of Lean. “The key is to educate people,” he says. “Start with the committed leadership, which we have at Suir.” Leo says that working with tech firms and pharma, who have been practising Lean for a long time, it was only natural the advantages brought by Lean would noticed by Imtech Suir staff. “Our vision is that everyone in the company is trained in Lean to at least a yellow belt,” he says.
Utilities
Imtech Suir’s capabilities range from feasibility studies and front-end consultancy through to the design and build, commissioning and optimisation. Their experience includes sustainable technical and control systems for power stations, wind farms and renewable energy facilities. Their in-house engineering team have delivered HV and LV solutions in 110kv and 220kv for many private clients as well as framework packages with ESB.
Leo was a good choice to drive Lean as he has been exposed to every side of the business, working as an apprentice and moving up the ranks to become a project manager. Lean is about simplifying processes, he says. “You need to visit sites and talk to the process experts – the electricians – and ask their opinion. They’re the experts and will have ideas about removing waste from the process.” Leo says quality and Lean go “hand in hand”. “Construction needs Lean,” he says. “There is a lot of waste and we need to get more controlled and streamlined. “There is also benefits to the clients in terms of cost and efficiencies.” According to Leo Lean projects are safer to manage: “Lean is about planning, how you set up the site and getting it right first time.”
Commercial
The company has extensive experience in the commercial sector. They understand the complexity of these environments, whether they are installing technical solutions within a new building or replacing existing mechanical and electrical systems. Working within tighter budgetary constraints, Imtech Suir builds major mechanical and electrical installation projects across essential public sector services, including health, private clients, local governments and works to low carbon specifications. C
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 25
CWPS
Celebrating 50 years of CWPS
This year sees a milestone anniversary for the Construction Workers’ Pension Scheme (CWPS) which celebrates 50 years of providing pension and death in service benefits to its members. Andy O’Gorman (right), Chairman of the CWPS Trustee Board, with Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform Brendan Howlin, T.D, and CIF Director General Tom Parlon
T
he scheme, which was originally set up in 1965, as part of the Settlement Agreement of the National Building strike, later became known as the Construction Federation Operatives Pension Scheme and in 2006, evolved into the current scheme known as CWPS. The first meeting of the Trustees actually took place on 26th November 1964, with the Scheme officially commencing on 1st March 1965. At a meeting of the Trustees on 9th November 1965 the Board unanimously agreed to assume liability for a Death in Service benefit of £500 (€635). One of the more recent continuing improvements to the Scheme has seen this benefit increase on 1st May 2015 from €63,500 to €100,000. Throughout the years the value of the Fund has continued to grow with the total asset value of the overall fund now standing at €1,349 million at the end of 2014, up from €946 million at end of 2009, an increase of €403 million in five years. At the end of the 1960s, per the minutes of the meeting on 18th December 1969, the fund value of the Scheme stood at £728,980 (€925,614). Another significant development in the history of the Scheme was in November 1998 when the Scheme first received the highly coveted ISO Accreditation, following an Assessment Audit by the National Standards Association of Ireland. The scheme still holds this accreditation today and is audited annually by the NSAI. Over the years the scheme has won many prestigious awards, most recently winning the “Best Pension Scheme in Ireland” at the IPE European Pension Fund Awards held in Vienna in November
2014. CWPS is also currently shortlisted for two awards, Best Communications Strategy and Best use of Risk Management, at the upcoming Irish Pension Awards to be held in November. With the almost unique industry wide structure of the scheme, with thousands of participating employers in the construction sector, the mobility of the work force is facilitated as it allows members to move from one employer to another and retain their retirement benefits in the one scheme. The scheme continues to provide valuable benefits for its members at retirement. Benefits can include a pension for life, a cash lump sum or a mixture of both a pension and a lump sum depending on the size of their pension savings at retirement. Currently the scheme pays a monthly pension to just under 8,000 pensioners with several pensioners (both members and surviving spouses) in receipt of a pension for over thirty years. At retirement, members can convert their pension savings into a pension payable for life at very favourable pension conversion terms, in the region of 8% better than the open market annuity rates. The Trustee of CWPS, in conjunction with the staff of the scheme’s administrator, CPAS, continue to strive to provide an excellent customer service for all the scheme members, a valuable Death in Service benefit for the active contributing members and the best possible retirement benefit outcome for members from their individual pension savings. C
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 27
CIF Annual Conference 2015
28 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
cover story
The CIF Annual Conference took place against a backdrop of improved economic conditions and the announcement of a €27bn capital programme by government. The conference, held in Croke Park on 1st October, heard from a range of speaker about the challenges and opportunities facing the construction sector. Dudley Solan, Partner and Head of the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Maples and Calder, the conference sponsor, placed the conference in context when he said: “In the current upturn, we have found that clients are again focussing on building and we are increasingly advising on all forms of building contract, both private and public sector. We fully expect further growth into 2015, surpassing the 45% increase in 2014. This is evidence of the industry’s pivotal position in the wider recovery and we are looking forward to continued progress over the next year”. Brian Foley reports.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 29
cover story
‘‘
It’s very important to IDA clients that we have proper infrastructure
’’
Pictured (from left) Mary Buckley, Head of Corporate Operations & Regional Development IDA Ireland and Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations, EMEA, PayPal with CIF President Michael Stone
“Winning the Foreign Direct Investment game” Mary Buckley, Head of Corporate Operations & Regional Development with the IDA spoke about “winning” Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Companies IDA have helped move to Ireland have contributed €124.5bn to the Irish economy while €8.5bn has been paid in salary with a total employment of over 174,500. The target is to have over 209,000 people employed by FDI companies by 2019.
“Dublin is our only city of scale,” she told the assembled delegates, explaining why so many FDI companies want to cluster around the capital city. Having said that, the IDA is aiming to increase regional investment outside Dublin by 30%-40% over the next four years. “It’s paramount we retain competitiveness,” she said, adding that key FDI sectors remain pharmaceuticals,
medical devices, technology,financial services, engineering and food. IDA estimates that for every 10 jobs generated by FDI, another seven are generated in the wider economy. A particularly strong economic contribution is generated from FDI investments for the property and construction sectors, which have faced unprecedented challenges over recent years.
“It’s about talent, infrastructure and aftercare support” Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations, EMEA, PayPal, made headlines with comments made at the CIF Annual Conference. The key issue, she said, is infrastructure and aftercare suppport. With over 2,600 staff, many based in Ireland, it’s a pressing concern. “Our greatest challenge today is rental property,” Ms Phelan said. “Property prices are a consistent problem for my teammates trying to find
somewhere to live. In terms of housing, I’m asking all teammates in Ballycoolin in Dublin and Dundalk to see will they rent rooms for teammates that I am bringing in from 26 countries because they can’t get accommodation,” she added. “Today I am paying €2,000 upfront to people coming into Ireland to put them into hotels so I can get a chance to get them residential accommodation. “It costs about €1,500 to hire an
individual, but today it’s costing me about €3,500 upfront to find a hotel for at least two to three weeks. It’s crisis time for us and for bringing in foreign direct investment overall.” The PayPal Vice President also spoke about how impressed she was with the construction teams that built Paypal’s Dundalk offices in 2012.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 31
“Dublin is one of the most attractive locations for data centres” Maurice Mortell, Telecity Group Vice President Emerging Markets & Country Manager, Ireland, spoke to conference about the rise of the data centre. He said the city fulfilled all of the ‘five Ps’ necessary for a successful data centre operation – policy, pedigree, people, power and pipes. The lessons learned from building data
‘‘ Maurice Mortell (right), Telecity Group Vice President Emerging Markets & Country Manager, Ireland with Gary Connolly, Host in Ireland
centres in Ireland include: • Familiarity with NEC contract • Contract negotiations for complex projects need to be given adequate time and we have learned to increase the time that we allocate to contract negotiations at an early stage. • We now identify long-lead items in the
We are only at the cusp of data centres. What we’ve built in Ireland is only the start
’’
Maurice Mortell pre-tender design period with provisional delivery times included in overall programme. • We are transparent about the levels of resilience that we require (physical and electrical/mechanical) at the workshop prior to tender as opposed to only releasing this information at a later stage.
“We’re designing and building at the same time” Dr Sean Kelly from Bristol Myers Squibb spoke about the company’s new pharmaceutical facility currently under construction in Swords, North Dublin. Such is the pace at which the new facility needs to be completed a final cost for the project remains unknown. “We are in the construction phase while design is still on-going,” he said. Estimates for the final cost range from €700m to €1bn. The worldwide demand for new forms of drugs is so strong he said they could build another new plat in the morning and it would reach capacity immediately. Over 1,500 construction staff will work on site during peak construction phase. Bristol Myers Squibb has been in Ireland for over 50 years. According to Sean Kelly there is a predicted worldwide lack of capacity issue for the pharmaceutical market. “If we could build a new plant in the morning it would be at maximum
32 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
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There is huge interest from the Bristol Myers Squibb board in the Irish project Dr Sean Kelly
capacity immediately.” The Swords project will involve four buildings over 40,000sq metres, 75km of
’’
(l-r) Dr Sean Kelly from Bristol Myers Squibb with Tom Parlon, CIF, Paul Bruton, Bennett Constrcution and Frank Matthews, Mercury Engineering
pipework, 400km of cabling and three million direct labour man-hours.
m with Bruton, and ury
‘‘
cover story
Failure to solve the housing issue will have severe implications Dermot O’Leary
“Ireland’s growth has been pretty extraordinary” Dermot O’Leary, Chief Economist, Goodbody Stockbrokers said that while the Irish construction sector is experiencing growth and many within the sector are optimistic about the future after surviving a horrendous recession, challenges still remain. Ireland’s growth rate has been pretty extraordinary, he continued, and the fact the rate had to be recalculated four times in 2015 underlines that growth. The Goodbody Stockbrokers economist said housing was the number one policy issue facing this country. He called for a number of measures to solve the current housing crisis including a Minister for Housing that would sit at cabinet, a reduction in VAT and a cut in local government levies. We have various conflicting demands between higher building regulations and lower house prices and higher incomes versus competitiveness, he said. “Failure to solve the housing issue will have severe implications,” he added. “Net migration will be a huge driver and with emigrants returning home this will place extra pressure on housing stock,” he explained. There are deep concerns about the housing sector’s capacity to deliver. Completions in Ireland are 2.0 per 1,000 of population compared to France where the figure is 6.0 per 1,000 of population. The economist also said it was “perverse” that it was more expensive to build apartments than houses. “Land is expensive, air is free,” he said, explaining we should be building up, not out. In solving the housing crisis, he said, we should employ the ‘three Ts” - timely, targeted and temporary – “a cut to levies/VAT would satisfy these”.
’’
Anna Nelson manning the CIRI stand at CIF Annual Conference 2015
Jeanette Mair from the CIF at the Heritage Contractors stand
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 33
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cover story (From right) Tom Dunne, Head of School of Surveying & Construction, DIT and Hugh O’Neill, Chairman, Irish Home Builders Association with Dermot O’Leary, Goodbody Stockbrokers and (standing) Hubert Fitzpatrick, Director CIF
“The government is taking 36% of a €330k house” During a discussion forum hosted by CIF Director Hubert Fitzpatrick, the problems associated with housing were discussed by Tom Dunne, Head of School of Surveying & Construction, DIT and Hugh O’Neill, Chairman, Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA). According to Tom Dunne we are now living in a very different world and we need to stop thinking about returning to the status quo. “With precarious employment people are scared to buy homes,” he said. “We need to think about different housing solutions, such as renting for longer.” The DIT lecturer also said houses should be smaller and more concentrated. Hugh O’Neill said there was no one answer to the current issues. “We’re looking at a situation where the government is taking 36% of a €330k house,” he said. “The IHBA studied the UK market, where costs are similar. In the UK there is zero VAT on construction, compared to 13.5% in Ireland.”
The IHBA Chairman said the impact of stricter building regulations was also having an impact on prices. “Today, to comply with minimum room width requirements mean the smallest three-bed semi we can build is 1,100 sq ft. That’s a big house.” In the UK, developers can build smaller three-bed houses, explained Hugh. He also raised an interesting point that modular homes do not meet minimum regulatory requirements. “We cannot deliver them,” he said. The cost of building a two-bed apartment is the same as a three-bed semi, he said. Tom Dunne said the planning process needed to be accelerated and that supply will eventually come on-stream – “the construction industry always lags economic growth”. He also asked was there a strong case for the government to employ a developer to build houses, like G&T Campton did in the 1930s.
‘‘
Is there a strong case for the government to employ a developer to build houses, like G&T Campton did in the 1930s
’’
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 35
CIF President Michael Stone (second from left) is joined by (from left) Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin, event sponsor Conor Owens, Maples and Calder and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin with CIF Director General, Tom Parlon
“We have the best construction professionals and trades people in the world”
B
elow are edited highlights of CIF President Michael Stone’s address to conference, where we touched upon a number of important themes including B(C)AR, apprenticeships, heath & safety and solving the housing crisis. “Many of our members have been through an incredibly difficult number of years. There is much talk now of growth, upturns and recovery in the media and by some commentators. However, we know that this is not wholly true, and that widespread growth is far from certain. What’s more, we know that what growth is in evidence is very much focused in the Greater Dublin area. We need a construction industry that works effectively for our economic development. Ireland is the fastest growing economy in the Eurozone. 45% of all new jobs created in 2014 were in the construction sector. While the value of construction output in 2014 rose to €11bn, our GNP activity accounted for only 6.7%. Therefore there is a long way to go to reach the 12% that most commentators believe is required for a healthy economy.
36 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
The ESRI and the Government have said we need to be building 25,000 homes per year, a far cry from the 11,000 built last year and the less than 11,000 expected this year. It’s worth remembering that 10,000 homes will create 25,000 construction jobs. The issue of ensuring that our industry can provide an adequate housing supply to meet demand has received widespread coverage in recent weeks. If the ESRI housing targets are to be achieved, and if the average double income couple is not to end up on the social housing list, measures must be taken to address costs. Onerous regulation, levies and contributions, and endless delays in planning, are all imposing excessive costs. The new Central Bank rules for first time buyers render it next to impossible for some households to get on the property ladder while their rent costs more than their mortgage repayments would cost them, if they could only get a mortgage. These rules must be reviewed. We have offered real solutions, such as a VAT reduction, like the one which breathed life back
cover story into the hospitality sector and the Help to Buy scheme which has had a positive impact in the UK. The demand for commercial and residential development is there. The positive economic signs are there. The need for improved infrastructure and accessibility is clear. But the industry faces enormous obstacles when it comes to delivering on this brief. Access to funding is a huge challenge. Many banks will provide only limited funding and this is accompanied by unrealistic terms. The Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) is offering finance at a jaw-dropping rate of up to 14%. These factors render house-building entirely unviable in many locations. It is no wonder that we cannot meet the demands of our citizens for affordable accommodation. The economic recovery of the country, along with the construction sector, needs many of the projects listed in the Capital Programme to proceed without delay. The road proposals announced, the flood defence works, and the rollout of an effective broadband network cannot wait years to be delivered. In addition, we must see this country build on the successful Pharma, Bio Tech, Agri-Food, Energy, ICT and Med Tech clusters developed across the Regions. We have made it clear to Government that the CIF and its members are fully available to work as part of a team to identify and alleviate the obstacles to economic growth in the Regions. Access to finance, ensuring the viability of developments, securing buyers and occupiers, and ensuring access to an appropriately skilled labour market are just some of the challenges we face in the Regions, all across the Country. All of these issues demand urgent attention if we are to build a solid foundation for future economic growth. But let me be very clear, we do not support a return of a construction sector at the scale that existed pre-2008. Construction 2020 suggests the optimum size of our industry should be 12% of GNP. The report states, and I quote “it is not unreasonable to expect that employment in the construction sector could increase by 60,000”. That alone would be a major contribution to lasting economic recovery. We have been up-front and open with the Government and with our stakeholders on how we believe this can be achieved and we look forward to continuing this work. However, we all know that our Industry does not attract sympathy from the wider public, despite the decimation it experienced in the recession, and despite the exceptional achievements of the really talented people working in the industry today. That is why it is so important that we champion construction practices and projects to the highest standards. The Industry welcomed the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations or BCAR when they were published in 2014, and while we know they add some additional cost to construction, we also know that they will help us to rebuild trust in our sector. However, a number of weeks ago, the Minister for the Environment introduced an exemption to these requirements for one-off houses which, we fundamentally believe, undermines the standards that the Industry is attempting to set itself. We have made it very clear that we are of the view that Minister Alan Kelly should reconsider this position, and revise the legislation to incorporate one-off houses, ensuring the highest certified standards for all work within our sector. We are proud that we have taken the lead in terms of setting
and raising standards in our industry through the establishment of CIRI, the only Register of construction companies, sole traders and specialist contractors that are vetted by Government nominees and industry professionals. Over 750 companies have fully registered, with a further 1,100 applications at various stages of the registration process, and we are continuing to work with Government to move CIRI to a statutory footing. We want construction taken out of the black market once and for all. It is not good for our industry, it causes problems with wage levels and competitiveness in the economy. And furthermore, on the subject of standards, I come to the most important consideration for us all that of safety. The safety and wellbeing of all those who work in our industry must be at the forefront of everything we do. Not just physical safety but also mental wellbeing. Recently the CIF embarked on a special initiative with Pieta House called “Mind our Workers” because we are all too aware that the devastation our industry suffered in the economic crash has had disastrous personal consequences for some individuals. This initiative has received a very positive reaction.
Students CAO applications for construction courses, engineering, and architecture increased this year by up to 15%. We need to do more to support this growing enthusiasm to pursue a career in the construction sector. We need to support schools and guidance counsellors to encourage students to consider a professional career in our industry. This can be done by our members taking part in Transition Year schemes in their regions, opening their doors, and showing young people that our industry is a passport to a great career. The CIF recently participated in the Higher Options Fair in the RDS, where thousands of students from all over the country came to hear about career opportunities across a range of sectors. Among the many universities, ITs and educational advisory groups, there was a notable representation of the built environment with surveyors, engineers and the CIF in attendance. The enthusiasm of these students to engage with graduates and apprentices was great to see, and we are committed to continuing to drive awareness of the professional career opportunities available in our industry. Speaking of career opportunities, I have to highlight the Shared Apprenticeship Pilot Scheme recently developed by our South Eastern Branch and Solas to support the wet trades – where registrations had collapsed in the downturn. This model enables an apprentice to carry out his or her training in conjunction with four different companies - one being the lead employer- throughout the term of the apprenticeship. We are anxious now to roll this out nationally, and are working with Government and Solas to achieve this. We believe that this programme could support the training of up to 50 apprentices in the next year. We are focused on playing our part in ensuring that we have the trades people qualified to meet the demands of the industry in the coming years. CIF members are ready and willing to deliver the homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure to support economic growth and support continued foreign direct investment. We will continue to work hard to play our part. We have the best construction professionals and trades people in the world. They are global ambassadors for our country. I believe it is because of this highly skilled workforce, with their abundance of integrity and professionalism, that I can stand here as President of the CIF, confident of a bright future.”
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 37
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Working together the key says Minister When Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform Brendan Howlin, T.D, stood up to address conference he had only days previously published the government’s six-year capital programme. Here are edited highlights from the Minister’s speech. “Recently I announced the Government’s six year capital investment framework, Building on Recovery which represents an exchequer spend of €27 billion over six years. If we add investment from the wider semi-state sector, and off-balance sheet mechanisms like PPPs, total state investment amounts to €42 billion over the period, an average of 3.5% of GNP per annum. By working together, the State and you, the construction industry, will deliver key investments in transport, education, health and enterprise across every part of the country, which will boost our competitiveness, create jobs, and upgrade our social infrastructure. The new capital plan contains a direct Exchequer increase of some €10 billion over the previous five-year plan.
by building new schools and upgrading existing school buildings.
Climate Change and Flood Risk
Investment is also growing with both building/construction and machinery/equipment spending on a rising path. Recovery in the construction sector continued in July with the Purchasing Managers’ Index for the sector recording its twenty-third successive month of expansion. Today we heard that trend has continued for a 24th month.
As a country we have a responsibility to play our part in reducing reliance on fossils fuels. We also have legally binding renewable energy targets and could face costs of up to €600 million if we fail to meet those targets by 2020. To help avoid these costs, €444 million will be spent on energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes over the six year period. The effects of climate change are already visible in towns and villages across Ireland. To protect vulnerable communities, the Government has prioritised the introduction of a new flood risk management programme. By 2021, spending on this programme will be €100 million per annum.
Jobs
PPPs
Economy
As Europe’s fastest growing and most dynamic economy, it is essential that we preserve our competitiveness by building on these key investments. By 2022, we will have doubled the level of annual investment in the transport area to €2bn per annum.
As I’ve already indicated, capital spending declined for obvious reasons during the recession. As Minister for Public Expenditure I sought ways to supplement our capital spend. I was pleased in 2012 to be in a position to resurrect our PPP programme. Proceeds from the sale of state assets, and the longer national lottery licence, have also provided funding for capital investment purposes. A new PPP programme valued at around €500 million will be developed in the Justice, Education and Health sectors. To coincide with the new PPP programme, the Government will introduce a PPP Investment Policy Framework. The Framework will limit expenditure on PPPs to a % of annual capital spending. It will provide transparency and clarity and ensure the long-term interests of the taxpayer are protected.
Health
Planning Bill
The new capital programme supports this Government’s number one priority: getting people back to work. An estimated 45,000 construction jobs will be directly supported as a result of the Exchequer investment set out under this Plan.
Transport
By 2021, €600 million will be spent every year upgrading our hospitals, residential facilities and the primary care network. This level of funding restores capital expenditure in the health sector back to its previous peak. Under the plan, an additional €300 million will be invested in upgrading residential facilities around the country to meet HIQA standards.
Education Between 2012 and 2014, this Government has built over 84 new schools and 55 large scale school extensions. We will spend over €3 billion in the next six years investing in our children’s future
I know that there have been issues around planning and the regulatory environment for building and development. We need to strike a balance here between removing unnecessary bottlenecks while promoting sustainable and appropriate development. With this in mind, a number of significant changes have been made in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015. Specifically it makes provision for: • the retrospective application of reductions in development contributions for planning permissions already granted; • the reduction in the Part V requirement for developers from making 20% of ‘housing units’ in a development available for social housing to 10% and • the introduction of a vacant site levy.”
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 39
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All-Star hurler Henry Shefflin with (from left) Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform Brendan Howlin, T.D, with CIF Director General Tom Parlon
Henry Shefflin, All-Star hurler and Kilkenny legend Yvonne Elebert and Cathy Nugent from the Department of Social Protection with Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform Brendan Howlin, T.D.
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The reason Henry is here today is because he is a leader. Leadership is about example. CIF President Michael Stone
The team from DIT at the CIF Annual Conference Ronnie Fleming and Declan Costello from Software Support Systems with Michael Stone, CIF President
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 41
Pictured are Michael Foley and John Devereux from Aspire Digital
Pictured are Paul Walsh and Stuart Rollinson from Arco
Pictured are Declan Humphreys and Brenda Devenish from Willis
David Mitchell from Pieta House
Mick Kelly from Simply Workflow
Pictured are Brian Molloy and Garreth Thornton from HSA
Marcus Hunter and Brian Doyle, Chief Technical Officer, Securitas Security Services
Ruairi Kelleher and Mark Graham from Taxback International
42 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
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Stephen Bolger and Hazel Murray from Maples and Calder
Ger O’Leary from Winthrop Engineering and Liam Casey from John Paul Construction
Conor Dixon and Ciaran Curran from Renault Ireland – official conference car sponsor
Lelia Indja and Grainne McKenna from Grant Thornton
Conor Owens, Maples and Calder (event sponsor) with Pat Lucey, Vice President CIF and John Sisk & Son
Tom Costelloe, Chairman, National Children’s Hospital Development Board with Jim Curran, HSE Estates C
Gareth Crowe, Sarah Weldon and Francis Doherty from the Peter McVerry Trust
John Reddy and Susan McGarry from Ecocem
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 43
pensions
CPAS Finance Bill update
T
On 13th October the 2016 Budget was delivered to the Dáil by the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, TD. Frances McNally from CERS outlines some of the main points.
he tax adjustments announced in Budget 2016 are aimed primarily at improving the tax situation for workers, particularly low to middle income earners. The measures are the second instalment of a three year plan to reduce the income tax burden, and should stimulate spending. Some of the main points of interest are:
Pension Levy
The only specific pension taxation measure announced in Budget 2016 was the ending of the pension levy which is welcomed by the industry.
Pension Limits
Pension limits have remained stable – i.e. the €115,000 earnings limit for personal contributions, and the €2 million Standard Fund Threshold. There are indications in Budget 2016 that future income tax relief will come from reductions to USC rates, rather than the indexation of tax bands. If this approach flows through to pension limits, the implication would be that the earnings limit and Standard Fund Threshold may remain at 2015 values for some time. This would limit the capacity of tax-efficient pension planning for middle to high income earners.
Tax relief – pension contributions
Tax relief for pension contributions continues at the marginal rate of tax. Benefits for pensioners The State Pension (contributory) is to increase by €3 per week to €233.30 per week with similar weekly increases of the Non-Contributory Pension and Widow’s Pension. These increases, together with the adjustment in the Christmas bonus, will be welcomed by many retirees.
Inheritance tax
The Capital Acquisitions Tax tax-free threshold, which covers the transfer of properties between parents and their
children, rises from €225,000 to €280,000.
Capital Gains Tax
A reduced Capital Gains Tax rate of 20 per cent (rather than 33 per cent) will apply to the disposal in whole or part of a business up to an overall limit of €1 million in chargeable gains.
Property
The following housing measures are to be implemented: • €10m for an affordable housing pilot scheme • Increased funding for social housing • Nama is to deliver 20,000 residential units before the end of 2020 with 90 per cent of these to be in the greater Dublin area. • Local Property Tax revaluation date postponed until 2019 • The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) scheme is being extended for another year until 31 December 2016. While these were all announced on budget day, the publication of the Bill
further addressed the PRSA anomaly which was introduced in the Finance Act 2011. This means that employer contributions to a PRSA will no longer attract a Universal Social Charge (USC) for the employee. The Finance Act 2013 reduced the AMRF limit from €119,800 to €63,500 and the guaranteed pension income for life from €18,000 to €12,700 per annum. The intention at the time was that these lower limits would apply for a period of three years, whereupon the higher limits of €18,000 per annum (specified income) and €119,800 (amount required to be placed in an Approved Minimum Retirement Fund (AMRF)) would be reapplied in the Finance Act. As there was no reference in the Bill to these limits being reapplied, it appears these limits will stay as they currently are. If you have any questions on the above or indeed any financial or retirement savings queries, please contact your normal CPAS contact at 01-4071400 or CERS directly at 01-4071430. C
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 45
CECA
9th Annual Dinner of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association
Brian Cody, Kilkenny Hurling Manager, Pat Lucey, CECA President, Colin Cleary, CECA Vice-President, Michael Stone, CIF President and David O’Brien, GCCC Chairman
Martin Lang, CECA Secretary with Alison Irving, CECA Executive, Brian Cody, Kilkenny Hurling Manager, Orla Brady, CECA Administrator and Pat Lucey, CECA President
The 9th Annual Dinner of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association took place on Friday 18th September in the Conrad Hotel, Earlsfort Terrace. The event was the most successful to date, with over 220 members and suppliers to the industry as well as distinguished guests of the Association in attendance. These guests included representatives from the Government Construction Contracts Committee, Irish Water, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, Engineers Ireland, the Irish Concrete Federation, the Master Builders and Contractors Association, and the Construction Industry Federation. Attendees were treated to a five-course meal followed by after-dinner entertainment provided by Kilkenny Hurling Manager Brian Cody, who brought the Liam McCarthy cup back to Kilkenny again in 2015 for the eleventh time in his 17 year managerial career. During the course of the meal, Pat Lucey of John Sisk & Sons Ltd, President of the Association, addressed those in attendance. In his speech the CECA President said the recovery was very much Dublin-centric. “We represent members from all over the country and the indications are that the recovery is very much Dublin centric. A challenge in the coming years will be to ensure that all areas are feeling the growth. We have to ensure that work goes to companies of all types and sizes. Our industry is at its best when there is work for everyone. “The capital city will always be first in line for economic activity but we must be aware of the divide that can develop when the spending is overly concentrated in one area; like we see in the UK between the South East and the rest of the country. The national road network has been a great leveller but the work must continue. Iarnrod Eireann have a vision to reduce the travel time from Cork to Dublin to under two hours and Belfast to Dublin to under 90 minutes. ” C
Noreen Grant, Jerry Grant, Irish Water with Veronica Lucey, Pat Lucey, CECA President, Patricia Gardiner and Michael Nolan, Transport Infrastructure Ireland
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 47
Be part of the register – Join CIRI today
CIRI is an official online register, supported by Government, of competent builders, contractors, specialist sub-contractors and tradespersons who undertake to carry out construction works. Its objective is to be recognised as the primary online resource used by consumers in the public and private procurement of construction services.
To apply for registration and for further information, go to:
www.ciri.ie
CIRI
CIRI CPD & Collen Construction Ltd – A success story
S
Eoin O’Donoghue, who works for Collen Construction
ince 2014, the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) has been gaining momentum and paving the way for a better, more regulated Industry. With over 700 companies now live on CIRI, it is proving to be a success. One of the key aims of the development of CIRI is to increase and enhance the competence and competitiveness of the construction industry in Ireland and to meet the demands of more rigorous building regulations, more complex and competitive procurement processes, the use of innovative and diverse technologies in the design and construction processes, and increasingly demanding building contracts. With this in mind, one of the crucial components of the register is the undertaking of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for all construction facing employees that are on the register. CPD is learning that adds to and enhances a person’s occupational, technical and professional competence in a process of lifelong learning. In the case of CIRI, this will be companycentred and must reflect the diverse range of registered entities and within these the activities of various individual personnel at different levels and in a variety of roles. Within the Irish construction industry, there are a number of professional bodies offering CPD initiatives and accreditation, including the Construction Industry Federation, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Engineers Ireland and the Society of Chartered Surveyors. If properly implemented, CPD has the potential to improve performance, increase innovation and enhance the quality of the Industry. CPD is not a new concept, most people undertake CPD as part of their job (e.g. searching the internet for information, learning from formal and informal team discussions, and attending conferences and seminars). CPD is about capturing useful experiences and assessing the practical benefits of what has been learned, reflecting
on what can be done now that couldn’t be done before. One CIRI registered company that is successfully implementing CIRI CPD across the company is Collen Construction Ltd. Collen Construction is widely recognised as one of the leading contractors in Ireland with their expertise expanding across a variety sectors. David Lee, Construction Director, has embraced the need for developing and improving the individual skills and knowledge of employees, while recognising such an investment in people will not only drive the business to future success but also empower each employee to take ownership of their personal development and career. Collen Construction has developed an internal CPD recording system to make the CIRI CPD process work for its business. A rigorous and effective communication strategy has ensured that all employees, from senior level right down to site based employees, have embraced the CPD process. The company has introduced a CPD logging system, which is designed to ensure all employees are involved in recording of their own on-site and general CPD activities. Collen Construction’s approach to implementing CPD has given all of their employees a greater understanding of their own personal development needs and places a responsibility on each staff member to discuss their careers and ambitions with their line manager at the annual review. Each CPD activity that occurs is recorded and logged by the individual and then is fed back into an overall progress report so that Management can easily view the types of activities that are being undertaken and by whom. Collen Construction is championing the CIRI CPD process and has confidence that their processes will make the ongoing renewal process significantly easier to manage into the future. This approach has encouraged and promoted a learning culture for their organisation, leading to higher morale, motivation and skill retention, paving the way for future success. C
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 49
Stellar performance by Team Ireland at 43rd WorldSkills The Irish Team came home with two gold medals and eight medallions of excellence from the 43rd WorldSkills Competition which took place at Anhembi Park, São Paulo, Brazil between the the 11th and 16th of August 2015. The gold medals were achieved in Aircraft Maintenance and Restaurant Service, writes Martin Sneyd who travelled with the Irish team as an official delegate. Irish Team including competitiors, experts and officials with An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, Damien English TD, Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation and Mr. Paul O’Toole CEO of SOLAS outside Dáil Eireann. (Photo Courtesy of Kerry ETB Training Centre)
T
he WorldSkills competition is a biennial event where competitors have the opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage. WorldSkills has grown to become the world’s largest professional education event. The São Paulo competition had 1,186 competitors representing 59 countries and regions who competed in almost 50 different skills and disciplines, making it the largest WorldSkills competition in history. Over 259,000 people visited the competition from Brazil and across the world. The projects that the young people had to complete during the various competitions were designed to reflect current skills
50 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
and techniques practiced in the relevant industries. The competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions in WorldSkills member countries and regions. The Irish WorldSkills party travelling to São Paulo consisted of fourteen competitors, fifteen experts (teachers-trainers), three delegates and two official observers. The competitors who represented Ireland in Brazil included apprentices and wholetime students and all had come through a rigorous selection process. Those involved included some of the winners and others who had distinguished themselves in the 2014 and 2015 National Skills Competitions. All were vying to join the elite group of highly skilled
Irish craftspeople who had represented Ireland at WorldSkills Competitions since the late 1950s when Ireland first became involved. National Skills competitions Approximately 26 national competitions are run annually and are managed by the IrelandSkills National Competition Organising Committees in Dublin Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology under the remit of the IrelandSkills Coordination Group. Each National Skills Competition winner is presented with the very prestigious Department of Education and Science’s Silver Medal. The national competitions are very important in their own right and they also perform a significant role in filtering potential competitors to represent Ireland at WorldSkills.
Irish WorldSkills Council
The Irish WorldSkills Council is made up of representatives from various national organisations and institutes of technology. The current council consists of: John Twohig - Technical Delegate - CIT (Chair), John Cassidy - Deputy Technical Delegate - WWETB (Secretary), Ray Kelly SOLAS, Martin O’Brien - ETBs, Albert Byrne WIT, Martin Sneyd - DIT - Official Delegate. The Council has the responsibility of organising and coordinating the countless tasks which are required to select, prepare and send a team to a WorldSkills Competition. These include: managing budget, seeking sponsorship, arranging interviews of potential competitors, selecting and purchasing uniforms, arranging flights, hotels and other modes of transportation, coordinating special training programmes and residential weekends, arranging payment to competitors during special training period, shipping of tool boxes etc.
Funding of Team
With the competiton taking place in far away Brazil the costs of sending a team there were very substancial. The funding came from the HEA, Solas, Institutes of Technology, Education and Training Boards. Sponorship from various souces including Gyproc Saint-Gobain, the Teachers Union of Ireland, the Construction
world skills Industry Federation, ITEC and IPB Insurance were much apprecaited.
Special Training Programme
Each Irish competitor received ten weeks special training in preparation for the WorldSkills Competition in São Paulo. The special training programme was designed and overseen by the expert in the relevant skill area. As well as completing the work with the competitor at home, each Irish
expert had various responsibilities and duties which were assigned by the Chief Expert and Deputy Chief Expert before, during and after the competition in São Paulo including marking, judging, assessing, monitoring health and safety, timetabling etc. The role of ‘Expert’ is voluntary and a huge amount of personal time is required and given in making sure that each Irish competitor is at his/her very best during competition time.
Residential Weekends
In addition to the special training programme each competitor had to attend a series of residential weekends which took place in Dublin. The main objectives of these weekends was to build team spirit, set clear and achievable targets, monitor fitness levels and attend talks from well known motivational speakers. Relevant details for those who competed in São Paulo are shown below:
Skill Competitor Expert Result Employer Aircraft Maintenance Ros Wynne Michael Hayes Gold Medal Atlantic Aviation Group Dublin (STC) Automobile Technology Andrew Bushe Anthony Hoey Medallion of Excellence G Bushe Motors (Co. Meath) (DKIT) Inchicore, Dublin Beauty Therapy
Andrea Donoghue Tara O’ Halloran Co. Wexford (KETB)
Medallion of Excellence Student - KETB
Cabinet Making
Cian Mulligan Declan Barrett (Co. Dublin) (DLFI)
Medallion of Excellence Student - DLFI
Carpentry David Morgan Co. Meath
Pat Noonan Certificate P & L Carpentry Ltd (DLFI) Kildalkey, Co. Meath
Construction Metal Work Dean McSweeney Co. Cork
Tim Halloran Medallion of Excellence (CIT)
Electrical Installation Shane Magee Co. Cavan
Paul Marah Medallion of Excellence Kieran Callaghan (DIT) Stradone, Co. Cavan
Industrial Control
Colm Agnew Certificate ESB Networks (DIT) Schul, Co. Cork
Martin Tully Co. Galway
Bowens Forge, Schull, Co. Cork
Joinery Daniel Murphy Co. Monaghan
John Joe Reilly Medallion of Excellence (IT Sligo)
Plastering and Drywall
Joe Clarke Medallion of Excellence Hurley and White Builders, (WWETB) Dunmanway, Co.Cork
John Murray Co. Cork
Certificate Plastic Die Engineering Donal Logan Stephen Reid (IT Sligo) Plumbing and Heating
Jonathan Flynn Co. Mayo
Restaurant Service of
Alina Sile Ray Cullen Co. Clare
Welding Owen Murphy
Pat O’Riordan Medallion of Excellence (CIT)
Norry, Constructions Glaslough, Co. Monaghan
Tool and Gauge Tobbercurry, Co. Sligo
Gold Medal Student - Shannon College Hotel Management
Maurice Collins Certificate (DIT)
BCD Engineering, Charleville, Co. Cork
Overall Team Result By winning two gold medals and eight medallions of excellence and when using the comparison by average medal point score Ireland finished in 11th place. This is an excellent result when one considers that advanced industrial nations such as the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Australia etc all finished behind us in the overall classification. Every Irish competitor gave of his/her best and they were great ambassadors for the country. Each of them
Irish Plumbing competitor Jonathan Flynn working with copper pipe
Tom Kelly Group, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
(WIT)
Team Leader The role of the Team Leader is very important and includes helping to build team spirit and promoting the physical, mental and emotional well being of the team members. Mary Beades - who is lecturer in CIT was the Team Leader in São Paulo. Mary is very experienced in this role as she has been Irish Team Leader at several other WorldSkills competitions. Mary has an excellent working relationship with all team members and council and she is held in high esteem by all.
John Murray fixing expanded metal during Plastering competition
showed great commitment and indeed they put their lives on hold for several months during the special training period. The size of this event and the massive pressure that the competitors have to work under has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The potential for personal growth after such an experience is enormous and I am sure that each of the team members will make their mark in industry and other areas of life in the years to come. Looking To The Future The next and 44th WorldSkills Competition will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in October 2017. The Irish WorldSkills Council are planning on sending a team. However, the size of the team and skills involved are yet to be determined. The resources available will obviously have an impact on this. It is hoped that with pick up in construction that there will be a larger pool of apprentices to select from and perhaps skills like Bricklaying and Painting and Decorating will again be represented on the Irish team.
Shane McGee - Electrical Installations competitor in action
Martin Tully working on a panel during the Industrial Control competition
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 51
cis stats
Taking the pulse of Construction 2016
Tom Moloney, Managing Director of CIS, says its database containing 283 projects commencing in the final quarter of 2015, valued at nearly €5bn, lends positive proof to the upwards trend in construction activity.
‘‘
One of the biggest projects planned in Ireland this year, an €850 million data centre for Apple in Athenry
’’
A
ccording to Moloney: “Growth will continue to gather pace in 2016 across most sectors of the construction industry and CIS are pleased to forecast in excess of €15 billion in construction projects for the coming year, that’s an increase of 31% over 2015.” Taking a look at current activity across the industry and starting off with the industrial sector, work has recently commenced on a €7.5 million office and bio-pharma facility for Mallinckrodt at the College Business & Technology Park in Blanchardstown. Duggan Brothers have been awarded the main contract for the construction of a €12 million Whiskey Distillery and visitor centre at Slane Castle in Co. Meath. Construction work is expected to commence in November. One of the biggest projects planned in Ireland this year, an €850 million data centre for Apple in Athenry, Co. Galway is currently on appeal with An Bord Pleanála. A decision is expected in February 2016. Looking to the civil sector, The Bam Iridium Consortium has been named as the preferred bidder for the construction of the €220 million N25 New Ross Bypass PPP Scheme and the €380m M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy Road Scheme. Work on both schemes is expected to commence in late 2016. In Cork, tenders are currently being sought from a select list of building
52 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
contractors for phase one of the €8m Bantry Harbour development. Construction is expected to commence in January 2016 and will take 18 months to complete. The medical sector remains strong with work currently underway on the €9 million extension to Our Lady’s Hospice at Harolds Cross, with the project due to be completed during 2017. Expressions of interests have been issued for the €22 million Urgent Care Centres (Satellite Centres) at Connolly and Tallaght Hospital (part of National Children’s Hospital Development). Work is due to commence on these schemes in Q2 2016. In Cork, suitability assessment questionnaires have been issued to contractors for the construction of a €25 million Radiation Oncology Centre at Cork University Hospital. Work is due to commence during 2016. Looking to the education sector, Western Building Systems have commenced the phased construction of a €15.2 million Education Campus, Ashbourne, Co. Meath. Work is also underway on an €18 million school development in Balbriggan, County Dublin and a €4.3 million primary school development, in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. Residential sector activity continues strongly in Lissava, Co. Tipperary, with planning approved for a €30 million residential development including a crèche
and medical centre. Work has recently started on a €9 million development in Shankill, Co. Dublin, with work expected to be complete during 2017. A main contractor is expected to be appointed in November 2015 for the construction of a €7m student accommodation and café development on Dublin’s Church Street. In the commercial sector, plans have been recently approved for the refurbishment of the European Union House on Dawson Street, Dublin. Demolition works are underway to allow for the construction of the €19 million redevelopment of Kestrel House in Dublin 2. Main works are expected to commence before the end of the year. Main construction work is expected to commence in Q4 2015 on phase 2 of a biopharma manufacturing extension for Alexion Pharma, in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Enabling works have already commenced on site. The CIS Construction opportunities 2016 ‘Special Report’ has just been launched which identifies all key and major construction projects that will either start or be completed in 2016, all in one comprehensive volume. This essential strategic planning tool, which will be available from 11th December, will enable you to identify the projects most suitable and profitable for your company in the year ahead. Enquire today by calling Alan on 01 2999 201 or email achapman@cisireland.com *Note* CIS project information was accurate on 23rd October 2015. Visit www.cisireland.com for the latest information on each project status. C
news extra
Ambitious expansion plans at Dublin Port The redevelopment of Dublin Port is set to be a major construction project event involving significant opportunities for Ireland’s civil engineering contractors. During a recent CECA tour of the port, Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive with Dublin Port Company, revealed the Port’s Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) project will involve dredging the main shipping channel to a depth of 10 metres from its current depth of 7.8 metres. Over 3km of quay walls will also be rebuilt. Other projects include road network improvements, a new seafarers centre and Port Centre. Currently nine hectares of land (Dublin Port has 260 hectares of land) is undergoing redevelopment at a cost of €18.4m. The total cost for the entire project is expected to be on the region of €227m. A new entrance from East Wall road will also be developed over the next 18 months. “From a construction sector standpoint Dublin Port is a great opportunity,” Eamonn O’Reilly said during a presentation to CECA members at the Dublin Port Company’s head office. “If we don’t undertake this project now we’ll have to turn away customers in the future,” he said. He added that all the successful ports around the world had spare capacity available for projected growth. New figures for the port reveal total throughput (imports and exports) for the year to 30th September was 24 million gross tonnes, an increase of 5.8% on the 23 million tonnes handled in the first nine months last year.
Showing further improvement in the domestic economy, imports rose 6.0% to 14.4 million gross tonnes on the same trading period, while exports strengthened by 5.5% to reach 9.9 million gross tonnes. The Port Chief Executive said civil works would commence by the start of 2016 with a completion date by the end of 2019 and dredging to be finalised by 2022. Over the past few years the port has reinforced its links with Dublin city, with one of the primary strategies being the increased number of cruise liners using the port. “Our peak was hit on 23rd July last when four cruise ships delivered 13,000 tourists into the city,” said Eamonn O’Reilly. It was also announced recently the European Investment Bank has committed to providing a €100m loan over 20 years, reflecting the long-term nature of Dublin ABR project. This is the first time in 20 years for the EIB to finance port infrastructure development in Ireland and highlights the strategic significance of the project, which has a grant of planning permission from An Bord Pleanála. “It is clear now that 2015 will be a record year and that yet more growth will come in future years as Ireland’s economy recovers. The strong growth on the import side and, within this, the 8.2% growth in petroleum imports from 2.7m to 2.9m tonnes and the 12,000 additional cars imported in the first nine months all come from the welcomed recovery in the domestic economy,” said Eamonn O’Reilly.
The CECA delegation with senior staff from Dublin Port Company, Tuesday 20th October
(L-R) Mike Jones, BAM, Charles Wills, Wills Bros with Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company
(L-R) Pat Lucey, CECA President, Martin Lang, CECA Secretary, Garret Dornan, Projects Manager, Dublin Port Company, Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company and Pat Ward, Communications Director, Dublin Port Company
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 53
Fleet management finds new focus “Collen has around 65 vehicles in its motor fleet,” says David Lee, construction director with Collen Construction
In every industry there are barometers that fall into the category of ‘obvious’. In the construction sector fleet expansion might well be near the top of the list. Just how vehicle fleets are managed varies considerably and the postrecession landscape sees responsibility fall to fleet managers, plant managers, procurement managers and others. In the main they are all looking for similar things, writes Martin Foran.
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aturally there was little emphasis on upgrading or adding to vehicle fleets during the downturn. Happily those days are behind us now and this is no longer the case. In fact we have seen a remarkable turnaround from the situation that pertained a few short years ago when many firms dramatically reduced the number of vehicles they owned. Plant manager at SIAC Construction, Paul Collins, says that during the recession changing or adding to the fleet wasn’t a priority. Yet this is clearly changing. Recently SIAC purchased a number of new Ford Focus car vans, says Paul. “Mainly they are used for getting engineers from site to site,” he explains. “They would be carrying some survey equipment in them and the usual PPE, so nothing too heavy. “We went for Ford because we have a good relationship with
54 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
them. We found them to be reliable and parts are good value for money. We decided to go with what we were familiar with.” The company now has a fleet of around forty to fifty vehicles. It has been larger before and of course it all depends on business requirements at any given time. “We have had a fleet management company look after all the vehicles in the past,” says Paul. “They would provide cover all over the country with different garages for anything from mechanical repairs to tyres and general maintenance. “As the fleet shrunk we did away with that and we now do it mainly in house. We have AA cover on vehicles.” At SIAC there is a mix of in-house and external servicing, depending on where the vehicle is located. Servicing in-house has always been a feature, Paul says. “Some of our vehicles do a lot of mileage.” Plant manager Tommy Flaherty says that during the downturn
fleet management
The Ford Focus car van with Siac logo
‘‘
There was a period when we did very little replacement. However, since 2012 our policy is to replace vehicles every four years
’’
BAM was able to manage and to maintain its fleet to meet market requirements. “At the lowest ebb we still had 250-260 vehicles in operation,” Tommy explains. Regular and routine maintenance, with a big emphasis on preventative maintenance ensured that vehicles were kept in best roadworthy condition. “They were tough times but this approach through the lean years worked very well for us,” says Tommy. “There was a period when we did very little replacement. However, since 2012 our policy is to replace vehicles every four years.” BAM has approximately four hundred vehicles in service, including vans, cars, trucks and jeeps, Tommy tells us. “We go for VW, Ford, Toyota and Kia in the main,” says Tommy. “The brands are good and we get a great service form the people who supply them. “Fuel economy, reliability and customer service and back-up are the things we look for of course. “Most of the businesses we deal with are family-owned. They are tried and tested.” To this end BAM deals with proven local suppliers like Maxwell’s for VWs, Finlay’s for Fords, Dunlea’s for Kias, Fitzpatrick’s for Toyotas and Conlan’s for Peugeots and BMWs. “Also, we use Blackwater Motors in Cork for VW and Audis, and for Isuzu we deal with Harris,” says Tommy. “Our relationships have been built up over
many years. When you are running a fleet of this size you need a service and you need a response and the people we deal with have never let us down. “Our approach is to put vehicles on a four-year lease and we organise our own finance. “We manage our fleet in house. We have a vast pool of knowledge and our people know our business. “The demands on our vehicles involved in the civil engineering sector can be challenging. The terrain on long sections of motorway under construction can be difficult to traverse. “As a consequence particular issues regularly arise with certain types of vehicles and we have developed systems and procedures for dealing with them. “We also have methods and facilities for dealing with waste parts, materials and lubricants, as some may be hazardous.” Looking to the future the organisation is expanding and adding to its operations, “and as a result we are recruiting and will be increasing our fleet,” says Tommy. Dornan Engineering provides an example of another way of working. Barry O’Hea is procurement manager here. With about 40 vehicles it can mean a lot of work with administration, servicing, tax, insurance and the like, he notes. “So,” he says. “We changed it all. We did a deal with Northgate (Vehicle Hire). “The way it works is that we pay a charge which includes tax and servicing and we just insure the vehicles now. We pay a monthly charge. “We got 35 brand new vans and they are all logoed,” says Barry, who professes to be very happy with the arrangement which is he says, a better solution. “It works out much better as you know your costs and after you are finished with a vehicle you can give it back. “When we need a new vehicle a
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 55
fleet management A range of vehicles in the BAM livery
‘‘
Plant manager with Clancy Construction Mark Clancy is another who has seen a big turnaround in terms of fleet size.
’’
Fleet management There are many aspects to take on board when considering a fleet management solution for your company. These include insurance, maintenance, telematics and driver management, fuel management, health and safety, compliance with regulations, roadside assistance and of course, administration. The requirements can be met in-house or outsourced to a Fleet Management specialist. Special software is available to help in managing the various functions.
56 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
member of staff rings up and in a week we have it all logoed up. We get a monthly invoice allocated to a project. It’s all encompassing.” In terms of what they have gone for they are predominantly Peugeot Partners, Barry says. “We have none of our own vans left anymore.” The company does also have cars, adds Barry. “We lease those,” he says. “We deal with Blackwater Motors and we generally get VW Passats.” Plant manager with Clancy Construction Mark Clancy is another who has seen a big turnaround in terms of fleet size. “For a few years there was little upgraded and a lot of vans were taken off the road,” he says. That is definitely changing. “When I’d be looking for a van I’d want one that is reliable and that little can go wrong with and one that is fuel efficient,” says Mark. “Fuel is a big consideration as it is such a huge cost. “We would have had Renaults for years and we haven’t found a van to match their efficiency. “If we are buying one or two we’d buy them outright. If it was six or seven then you’d be leasing them. “In the last year we had six new vans on the road,” says Mark. “Two Peugeot Partners and four Renault Kangos.” Sean Liston at Roadbridge explains there is a cycle of about five years in terms of vehicles at the company and at present, “we are at year two of the current cycle”. “Basically what we want are reliable vehicles at the right price and we want them to be fuel efficient,” says Sean. Sean says they stick to main brands like Toyota, Ford and Renault. He also mentions Hyundai, Kia and VW for fuel economy. “We go for a lot of four wheel drives,” says Sean. “The main four wheel drives here are Toyota, Isuzu and Ford.”
Here again, the choice of vehicles depends on the terrain people will be on. “We also go for a lot of the small Hyundai i30s,” says Sean. Sean mentions the significance of variety in that they can see how different vehicles perform against each other. With any vehicle we bought in the last two years they have a maintenance agreement where they get the main dealer to do the servicing for them, adds Sean. “Collen has around 65 vehicles in its motor fleet,” says David Lee, construction director with Collen Construction. David advises that, “Between 2011 and 2013, any upgrades were good quality second hand vehicles. “Since 2013, most upgrading has been with vehicles that are new or ex-demo models. He explains: “Upgrading is now carried out in cycles of maybe eight to ten vehicles per annum. The company purchased 10 vehicles this year.” When assessing replacement vehicles, David says, “Collen looks for value for money, reliability and economical service and running costs.” Ford Focus, Toyota Auris, VW Golf and Caddy vans were reviewed when considering the choice for replacement vehicles. Most of the replacement vehicles over the past few years have been Toyota Auris vans. “They are competitively priced and the company received further discount when buying a few vehicles together,” says David. “The cost of servicing of these vehicles is quite reasonable also.” David says that in the downturn, Collen engaged a subcontractor to directly service its fleet on site.This, he explains, saves a huge amount of down time. “The company is gaining from having no down time for staff going to garages, dropping off vehicles, perhaps having to hire another one and going back to collect their vehicles later.” It seems some decisions made in the downturn still serve us well – as we move into a period of renewed activity in fleet management terms. C
NISO AWARDS
Construction sector celebrates at NISO awards
The 24th Annual National Irish Safety Organisation Safety Awards took place on 2nd October 2015 at a special ceremony in Galway at which the Supreme Safety Award winner for 2015, sponsored by Phillips 66, was announced as Sierra Support Services Group. The Supreme Safety Award is presented to the organisation, which has shown consistently good or continuously improving health and safety performance over a number of years and an outstanding contribution to occupational safety, health and welfare during the previous year. The awards are highly valued and regarded among health and safety professionals throughout the island of Ireland. Other awards presented on the night included the Small/Sub Contractor Safety Innovation Award 2015, in association with Construction Safety Partnership (CSP), which was awarded to SNPS Ltd. C
L to R: Keith Morrison, CEO, HSENI; Jimmy Fenton, chairperson, NISG; Liam Henry, director, Cold Chon Galway Ltd. (CHEMORAN); Dermot Carey, head of safety services, Construction Industry Federation; Pauric Corrigan, president, NISO; Martin O’Halloran, CEO, HSA. L to R: Keith Morrison, CEO, HSENI; Jimmy Fenton, chairperson, NISG; Barry O’Brien, EHS manager, Kirby Group Engineering; Dermot Carey, head of safety services, Construction Industry Federation; Pauric Corrigan, president, NISO; Martin O’Halloran, CEO, HSA.
L to R: Keith Morrison, CEO, HSENI; Jimmy Fenton, chairperson, NISG; Francis Cleary, EHS manager, Malone Engineering Group; Dermot Carey, head of safety services, Construction Industry Federation; Pauric Corrigan, president, NISO; Martin O’Halloran, CEO, HSA. L to R: Keith Morrison, CEO, HSENI; Jimmy Fenton, chairperson, NISG; Lisa O’Donnell, HSE manager, Kilcawley Construction; Dermot Carey, head of safety services, Construction Industry Federation; Pauric Corrigan, president, NISO; Martin O’Halloran, CEO, HSA.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 57
CIF training and education programmes for November/December 2015
CIF Training & Development
Course Title/Venue Course Code
Start Date
End Date
Course times
Project Supervisor Construction Stage PSCS CIF Construction House, 2562 Canal Road, Dublin 6 CIF IOSH Managing Safety in Construction MSIC CIF Construction House, 2563 Canal Road, Dublin 6 Building Control Course -Part E - Sound CSE 2 BCC CIF Construction House, 2505 Canal Road, Dublin 6 Building Control Course -Part G & Part H - BCC Hygiene and Drainage CSE 2 2505 CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 Building Control Course -Part K & Part M - BCC Stairways and Access CSE 2 2505 CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 Building Control Course -Final Revision BCC and Examination CSE 2 2505 CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 Project Supervisor Construction Stage PSCS Radisson Hotel, 2564 Limerick CIF IOSH Managing Safety in Construction MSIC CIF Offices Little Island 2621 Cork IOSH Project Supervisor Design Process PSDP CIF Offices, 2622 Canal Road, Dublin 6 IOSH Project Supervisor Design Process PSDP Radisson Hotel 2565 Athlone CIF Core Safety Management Programme Renewal/CPD CSMP Castlebar regional 2605 CIF Core Safety Management Programme Renewal/CPD CSMP CIF Construction House, 2566 Canal Road, Dublin 6 CIF IOSH Managing Safety in Construction FAST TRACK MSIC CIF Construction House, 2567 Canal Road, Dublin 6
3rd November Tuesday
17th November Tuesday
08.30am - 17.00pm
5th November Thursday
3rd December Thursday
09.30am - 16.30pm
5th November Thursday
5th November Thursday
08.30am-13.00pm
5th November Thursday
5th November Thursday
14.00pm-17.00pm
6th November Friday
6th November Friday
08.30am-13.00pm
6th November Friday
6th November Friday
14.00pm-17.00pm
IOSH Project Supervisor Design Process CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 CIF Management & Inspection of Scaffold CIF Offices, CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 CIF Core Safety Management Programme Renewal/CPD CIF Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6
PSDP 2568
10th December 11th December Thursday Friday
08.30am – 17.00pm
SI 2569
11th December 11th December Friday Friday
08.30am – 17.00pm
CSMP 2570
16th December 16th December Wednesday Wednesday
08.30am – 13.00pm
58 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
10th November 24th November Tuesday Tuesday
08.30am - 17.00pm
11th November 9th December Wednesday Wednesday
09.30am – 16.30pm
10th November 11th November Tuesday Wednesday
08.30am – 16.30pm
19th November 20th November 08.30am – 17.00pm Thursday Friday 27th November 27th November Friday Friday
09.00am to 13.00pm
27th November 27th November Friday Friday
08.30am 12.30pm
1st. 2nd. 8th. & 9th. Dec Tues. & Wed.
14th. December 09.30am – 16.30pm Monday
INDUSTRY NEWS Cork company targets Ireland’s €1.3BM smart home heating
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ccuflow, a global manufacturer of wireless technology, is set to transform home energy bills across the country thanks to Smartzone – new smart home heating controls which will save consumers an average of €300 a year, equating to potential national annual savings of over €400m. This announcement follows a €1 million backing by cleantech investors. The Cork based company, which has offices in Britain, Italy and China, is planning a major three year global expansion which will increase its workforce from ten to 40 people on foot of this major investment. These 30 new jobs will be filled across sales, administration, marketing computer
programming and software development roles. There is a huge opportunity in the home heating market with 68% (1.3million) of Irish homes being classed as energy inefficient by current standards. The direct impact of this is hundreds of millions of euros in wasted energy as well as over 1.1 megatons of unnecessary CO2 emissions. Speaking at the launch of the Accuflow Smartzone Hub Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney commented: “This is a fantastic announcement, not just for Cork, but for the entire country as it will create employment and save money for households. Ireland’s economy is improving because of innovative companies like Accuflow who are
identifying opportunities for growth in key areas such as wireless home technology. I’m a firm believer in the development of technology as it is improving the nation both from an energy and a cost perspective. Locally, Accuflow’s Smartzone, smart home heating controls project is also contributing to the Cork Smart Gateway initiative - a Cork City and County Council project which aims to improve the environment and quality of life for households as well as promoting economic activity. Praise must be given to all involved, especially company founder, Justin Mc Inerney for identifying a cuttingedge opportunity in energy saving.”
Pictured at the launch of the Accuflow Smartzone Hub in Southside Business Park, Togher are Accuflow Founder and CEO Justin McInerney and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 59
Brett Martin high capacity drainage systems With water ingress one of the most common reasons for building failure, it is vital that rainwater drainage systems have the capacity to protect a building and its contents. To ensure buildings are able to remove rainwater effectively, high capacity drainage systems are now playing an ever increasing role in protecting buildings and their contents from heavy or constant rainfall. In order to accommodate the increased volumes of rainwater on large commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential roofs, the new Deepstyle 170 high performance rainwater system from Brett Martin Plumbing & Drainage has a super-sized 170mm profile with an increased drainage capacity of 11.54 litres per second1. Requiring fewer discharge points which reduces the number of downpipes to provide both material and installation savings, this high capacity drainage system also features new and innovative factory fitted CLIP & SEAL technology on all fittings to ease installation and provide exceptional long-term sealing reliability.
A unique addition to Deepstyle 170, the CLIP & SEAL fully integrates with the fitting so that the specially designed captive seal is held securely within the fitting whilst the clip locks the seal firmly in place. When fitting the gutter, it provides just enough flex to allow the gutter to locate within the fitting, whilst a reassuring click locks the gutter securely into position compressing the seal for superior sealing. The robust and hard wearing Deepstyle 170 integrates seamlessly with Brett Martin’s 110mm Industrial Downpipe System to complete the company’s high capacity offering. Comprising 110mm plain ended or
single socket downpipe options, with high quality PVCu fittings, including bends, branches, access pipes and clips, the system retains the adaptability essential in planning an industrial rainwater scheme. Manufactured in the UK at Brett Martin’s own quality assured BS EN ISO 9001:2008 factories, the Deepstyle 170 system is a robust, hard-wearing solution. Tested to EN 1462 Load Class H to withstand heavy duty snow loading, the high gloss PVC system is also proven to retain its stunning aesthetic with UV protection providing long term colour stability – backed by a 10 year colour warranty. With a reputation for quality and reliability developed over more than 50 years in the industry, Deepstyle 170 is the latest addition to Brett Martin’s rainwater portfolio which includes 106mm Prostyle, 112mm Roundstyle, 114mm Squarestyle, 115mm Deepstyle and 160mm High Capacity in addition to the innovative and highly acclaimed Cascade range of cast iron effect guttering and downpipe profiles. www.brettmartin.com/plumbing-anddrainage.aspx
Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon appoints two new partners
(L-R) Áine Farrelly, John Glennon & Niall May
60 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon is delighted to announce the appointment of two new partners, Áine Farrelly and Niall May. The firm’s continued expansion follows last year’s merger & jobs announcement. “I am delighted to welcome our new partners to our expanding firm. Our expansion is a result of our client’s growth & continued success. Both Áine’s and Niall’s expertise will add particular strength to Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon’s growing team of experienced advisers,” said John Glennon, Managing Partner. Áine Farrelly, Consulting Partner and COO for the firm, trained with Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon and has
significant expertise in providing advisory and corporate finance services to a diverse portfolio of SME clients. Áine has also worked both in Ireland and the UK for the firm’s London Management Consulting Unit undertaking significant public sector consulting projects. Niall May, recently joined the firm as an Audit and Advisory Partner. Niall has over 16 years’ experience including 14 years with a Big Four firm. Niall has significant audit and risk advisory experience and has provided these services to public, national and international clients across a wide range of sectors which include technology, property, financial services and retail.
industry news
Creating extra insulation in attics
I
ncreased requirements to improve the thermal performance of existing buildings has led to thicker layers of insulation been required in walls, floors and attics. As walls and floors may require more invasive measures to retrofit, attics are often seen as one of the easier areas to thermally upgrade with minimal effort or disturbance to both the building and its occupants. Existing attic with poorly fitted insulation, poor detailing and lack of insulation continuity at recessed lights According to the SEAI, a poorly insulated building can loss 30% of its heat through the roof alone, leading to increased fuel bills, reduced levels of comfort and an increase in the carbon footprint of a building. It is recommended to insulate attics with at least 300mm of fibre insulation (λ 0.044WmK), to attain the required U value, 0.16W/m2K, to comply with TGD part L. Many homeowners though are reluctant to upgrade attic insulation to the required levels as the attic space is often an area used for storage and it is perceived as a dangerous area to operate. The Loft Expander system provides an efficient solution for the thermal refurbishment of attic & roof spaces. Homeowners often use attic spaces for storage which can lead to the compression of insulation which in turn, significantly reduces thermal performance. The Loft Expander system allows homeowners and insulation installers to increase insulation levels and create a safe storage space in their attics. The principle of the system is to simply fix the Loft Expander to an existing joist. This in turns creates an increased void in which a thicker insulation layer may be installed without the risk of compression. The Loft Expander is supplied in easy to handle, lightweight 2.4m lengths. The system provides the following benefits:
• • • • • •
• •
Slim, lightweight engineered solution Increase joists in one easy step Efficient alignment of uneven joists Time saving, one man installation possible Easy to handle 2.4m lengths Patented technology, engineered, developed and manufactured in Germany Reduce heat loss through joists though reduced thermal bridging Strength of joist expander third party tested and approved
The Loft Expander is simply fastened to existing joists. It is recommended to fasten the Loft Expander to the joist with a 4.0 mm x 40 mm Spax screw or similar. Screws must be staggered and fixed at no more than 180mm centres. For storage, OSB boards or similar must be at least 18mm thick and fixed securely to the Loft Expander System. Based on this specification the system can bear a load of 250 Kg/m2! When upgrading existing attics recessed light fittings can also present challenges, in reducing the continuity
of thermal insulation and also increase the risk of condensation within attics due to uncontrolled air leakage from the living space into the cold attic. Ecological Building Systems supply Optime Downlight protectors which maintain a clear air void between thermal insulation and recessed lights. Leaky attic hatches are often an area where significant air leakage and heat loss can occur. To address this, Ecological supply an independently certified airtight pre insulated Wellhoefer attic hatch and ladder. It is also important to ensure that cross ventilation of attics is not obstructed when thermally upgrading attics. Specifiers are welcome to visit Ecological Building Systems showrooms and training centre in Athboy, Co Meath to view the system. An RIAI registered CPD airtightness presentation is also available on request. For more information concerning the Loft Expander System, please do not hesitate to contact Ecological Building Systems at: info@ecologicalbuildingsystems.com or call 046 – 9432104
Irish Cement awarded BES 6001 ‘excellent’ rating Irish Cement is the first company in Ireland to achieve the BES 6001 ‘Excellent’ rating for its cement products. The BRE Environmental and Sustainability Standard, BES 6001, focuses on responsible sourcing and product stewardship, addressing the social, economic and environmental impacts of construction products throughout the supply chain.
In 2011 Irish Cement became the first company in Ireland to be independently certified to BES 6001. Continuous investment and focus on sustainable development has resulted in the company’s range of bagged and bulk cement products now being awarded the standard’s highest rating. Further information is available on the Irish Cement website www.irishcement.ie.
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 61
(l-r) Ciaran Timpson, John O’Regan and Nick McPhilemy
AECOM announce appointments to quantity surveying team AECOM has announced the expansion of their quantity surveying team with the addition of two new associates in Dublin, who are Nick McPhilemy and Ciaran Timpson. With over 20 years of experience working in Dublin and Belfast, Nick McPhilemy has spent the last three years working in New York, successfully delivering a number of large commercial office schemes. He now returns to Dublin to lead one of the AECOM Commercial Cost Management teams, continuing to work on large commercial and mixed-use schemes. Ciaran Timpson, a native of Ennis, Co. Limerick, joins the AECOM Dublin team from the AECOM London team, where he worked with key clients in the commercial and financial services sector. Part
of Timpson’s role in London was to lead innovative approaches to the fast-track delivery of large fit-out projects. He will be bringing his knowledge and experience in that sector to the Irish market. Commenting on the recent appointments, John O’Regan, Head of the AECOM Project and Cost Management team in Ireland said “AECOM are leading the delivery of quantity surveying services across a number of sectors. The volume and speed of projects in the Dublin commercial sector demands the best quality of quantity surveying input, and I am delighted that Nick and Ciaran have joined the 600-strong AECOM Ireland team as this growth continues.” McPhilemy and Timpson will both be based at AECOM’s Hatch Street office in Dublin city centre.
CE Certification adds to quality assurance at ASMS Mechanical and Steel contractors ASMS Ltd. based in Cork and operating nationally is finding that CE Certification of steel projects is helping them to better serve their clients while implementing an additional quality control management system into its organization. Since July 2014 Steelwork Fabrication now falls under the CPR (Construction Products Regulation) and therefore must carry CE marking to demonstrate that they comply with EN 1090 – 1:2009 + 2011 Execution of Steel Structures. Requirements for conformity assessment of structural components, which involves a number of steps, that culminates in certification by a third party. ASMS gained accreditation from BM TRADA through a rigorous auditing process form procurement,
62 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
traceability, calibration and welding procedures. It is now a criminal offence to supply fabricated steelwork into the market unless it conforms to the standard and carries a legitimate CE mark. Penalties for breaches of the CPR include fines and imprisonment. With the arrival of BCAR within the industry this imposes additional importance to the CE marking process. “Getting up to speed on CE did involve a long learning curve as the steel team and various engineering personnel became familiar and increasingly competent at developing the management systems to document the procedures and capture the necessary records to ensure traceability and confidence in the manufactured product,” says David Neary of ASMS.
for your diary
Wednesday 11th November
Donegal Branch meeting
North West Branch meeting
Thursday 19th November
Monday 30th November
Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, 8pm Contact: Justin Molloy 091 502 680
TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar, 8pm Contact: Justin Molloy 091 502 680
CIF offices, Little Island, 4pm Contact: Brid Cody 021 435 410
Tuesday 17th November
Tuesday 24th November
Monday 7th December
Mid West Branch meeting Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick, 4.30pm Contact: Brid Cody 021 435 410
Executive Body meeting (AGM 12.45pm) Construction House, Dublin, 11am Contact: Gillian Heffernan 01 406 6016
Cork House Builders meeting
Cork Branch Executive meeting Venue to be decided, 5pm Contact: Brid Cody 021 435 410
Wednesday 18th November
South East Branch meeting Brandon House Hotel, New Ross, 7pm Contact: Brid Cody 021 435 410
November 2015 CONSTRUCTION 63
Last Fix Everyone loves a survey. Here’s what Hardware merchants are feeling about things…
468,000 homes…a month! What Irish home builders would do for these numbers… According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, sales of new single family houses in September 2015 were recorded at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 468,000 units. This data, collected and analyzed by FindTheHome, reveals a decrease of 11.53% from the August 2015 annualized rate of 529,000, and an decrease of 6.96% from the July 2015 rate of 503,000. New home sales in the United States peaked in July 2005, when the annualized rate of sales reached 1,389,000 units. In April 2008, new home sales hit an all-time low, with an annualized rate of just 536,000 units. The U.S. Census Bureau also publishes information on nationwide new home sale prices. In September 2015, new single family homes sold for a median price of $296,900, an increase of 2.70% from the previous month. Sale prices for newly constructed homes were as high as $302,700 in November 2014.
Mercury county colours pays dividends On Friday 18th of October Mercury Engineering hosted a ‘Wear Your County Colours Day in aid of Pieta House. Thank you to everyone who took part in the day. €501 was raised from staff donations so huge thanks to everyone who gave generously in support of Pieta House.
Portuguese construction industry showing signs of recovery
64 CONSTRUCTION November 2015
tweet of the month
CIF @CIFcomms Our industry has a responsibility to innovate #lean #bim technologies should be used more #cifconf2015 - CIF President Michael Stone
The Portuguese construction industry is expected to fare slightly better over the next five years, due to an anticipated recovery in regional and global economic conditions, and improving consumer and investor confidence. According to a new Timetric report, the industry’s output value is forecast to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.20% over the forecast period: this is up from the negative value of -10.76% during the review period (2010–2014). The growth will be supported by government spending on residential, infrastructure and commercial construction markets, as well as positive developments in domestic and regional economic conditions. The Portuguese construction industry has been contracting since 2008, suffering a decline in the industry’s output value, which contracted from US$47.6 billion in 2008 to US$25.5 billion in 2014, in real terms. This reflected the sharp contraction in Portugal’s economy amid the financial crisis in the eurozone, and the collapse in the country’s property market. Infrastructure construction holds the largest share in the Portuguese construction industry, accounting for around 50% of its total value, and is expected to retain this share over the forecast period. Backed by the government’s plan to improve the country’s transport infrastructure with its Transport and Infrastructure 2014-2020 project (PETI3+), the infrastructure market is expected to record a positive growth over the forecast period.
Going beyond
At the heart of great performance. We believe in the power of one. Eight companies, 4500 employees & 100 international locations have come together as one team to deliver an unrivalled depth of experience, expertise and service excellence. We have unified under one new name – Actavo, a name that finds its very essence in the meaning of performance. Actavo.com