Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Ireland Construction News Archive for December 2010
21/12/2010
More than €1.6 million is to be provided for a new library at Carrickphierish in Waterford City, according to local Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally. The funding will allow the library to proceed along with two new schools. The new library is to be linked up with the two new 16 classroom schools
21/12/2010
A hi-tech approach to business by an east Belfast central heating maintenance company is paying dividends with the announcement of its ambitious expansion plans supported by Northern Bank. David Croft, Business Manager at Northern Bank's Belfast Finance Centre joined the Managing Director of Solv G
21/12/2010
The Stormont Executive's approval of imaginative plans to transform Casement Park in west Belfast into an all-seater stadium has been given a warm welcome. Boosting both Gaelic sport and creating many jobs in the construction sector during the building work, the project will cost an estimated £100m
21/12/2010
Grants to protect and restore NI's historic buildings are being capped. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has announced that it is to limit its Historic Buildings grant-aid to £50,000 per scheme/per year. Last December NIEA introduced a cap on applications, set at £250,000. This fu
21/12/2010
Social Development Minister Alex Attwood has unveiled the city centre public realm scheme in Derry’s Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place. The major regeneration project, which is the most significant ever made in public space in Derry, has created a high quality, modern, urban landscape in the hea
21/12/2010
The Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) has achieved the runner-up title in the prestigious 2010 Environment YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) competition. The competition is run by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (
20/12/2010
Smaller firms - including those in Ireland's construction sector - should be tendering for more public sector contracts. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O'Keeffe TD, wants small businesses to build stronger relationships with the Government's job creation agency, Enterprise
20/12/2010
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education has just announced details of the Summer Works Scheme for 2011 and has invited applications under the Scheme in accordance with the terms of a special Circular Letter. She said that the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme is to devolve funding to individual s
20/12/2010
A top all-island award for best Sustainable Construction has been won by builder John Sisk and Sons Ltd. The judges praised Sisk's best practice initiatives and promotion of construction sustainability in the augural CMG Building & Design Awards 2010 held in Dublin recently. The company, whose B
20/12/2010
The former Andersonstown Social Security Office in west Belfast is to be turned into 20 new family homes, it has been announced. Stormont Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood has said that the site of the former Andersonstown Social Security Office will be cleared for 20 new family homes. It
20/12/2010
There has been a warm welcome for proposed measures to make roads safer in a busy part of east Belfast. Sinn Fein Pottinger representative Niall Ó Donnghaile has welcomed news from Stormont Roads Minister Conor Murphy and party colleague that a number of measures have been taken as a result of his
20/12/2010
The Lyric Theatre has announced a major funding boost as details of a five-year partnership with Northern Bank were revealed at an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the new theatre. Building work is nearing completion and the Lyric will reopen its doors on Sunday 1 May 2011 with a gala performa
17/12/2010
A radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin hospital in Londonderry is just one of several new building projects that were this week given the green light. The Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has confirmed a strong commitment on the part of the Executive to ensure that every possible measure is taken to assis
17/12/2010
The decision to re-brand ESB Customer Supply and ESB Independent Energy as 'Electric Ireland' at a cost of between €5 million and €6 million is a total waste of money, with the cost inevitably being passed on to both domestic and business users in the form of higher bills, according to Fine Gael Com
17/12/2010
A rethink on a planning application for radio mast at Bray Garda station has been welcomed. The Irish Times has reported that residents claimed a breakthrough after the Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed it would no longer seek planning permission for commercial telecommunications equipment on
17/12/2010
A Co Antrim-based firm, McCue Fit-Out, has plenty of reasons to celebrate during the festive period after successfully bringing three new market entries to Northern Ireland – in contract wins worth over £1 million. McCue was chosen to deliver the complete interior fit-out for one of Belfast's newes
17/12/2010
A new Certificate Qualification in Supporting Homeless People has been launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). It is the first ever such qualification for people working within the homeless sector in Northern Ireland. Working in partnership with Ark Housing Association and First Hous
17/12/2010
Stormont Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has cut the first sod of the new build project for Taughmonagh Primary School in Belfast. Addressing guests at the event, the Minister said: "I very much welcome the opportunity to start construction of the new Taughmonagh Primary School by cutting the
16/12/2010
A decision to refuse permission for a private hospital on the outskirts of Sligo has been welcomed by campaigners, who said the facility would lead to the "continuing downgrading" of the town's existing general hospital. The local Council said the proposed development would be in conflict with its
16/12/2010
Building work and new high tech equipment are to be part of a €42m investment just announced for higher education centres. The Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan has said that that seven universities and 15 Institutes of Technology will benefit from the funding to allow "small-scale building works and high te
16/12/2010
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has visited a range of schools in the Galway region to open new facilities and to raise a Green Flag. The Education Minister visited St Cuan's College in Castleblakeney, County Galway where she opened two science laboratories built at a cost of €646,000. Minister Coughlan op
16/12/2010
East Belfast's Titanic Quarter has opened its first hotel with an £8m Premier Inn launched this week and claiming to be 'First by name and first by nature'. The 122-bedroom hotel is part of the Arc complex at Abercorn Basin and is situated adjacent to Titanic Quarter's entrance and near to the Gate
16/12/2010
The construction sector has again been highlighted as a major factor in rising unemployment levels. Figures released today for the period August - October 2010 show that the Northern Ireland unemployment rate has increased over the quarter to reach 7.6%. Christmas may be less than two weeks away,
16/12/2010
Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of construction equipment has been stolen from a yard in Londonderry. Items stolen from the Maiden City's Bay Road include a van, (registration R560 VMJ), trailer, digger and equipment such as trench rammers, concrete saws and pipe scrapers. The PSNI believe
15/12/2010
A Bill to transfer planning powers to councils is fundamental to the development of local democracy, the NI Environment Minister, Edwin Poots said on Tuesday. DUP MLA Mr Poots was speaking before a key Assembly debate on the Planning Bill. The Minister said: "The proposals in this Bill will trans
15/12/2010
The Metro North project is still manageable within today's public finance constraints because the private sector initially funds the majority of the construction costs. That's according to Rob Leech, Metro North Project Manager, RPA, who was speaking at an Engineers Ireland seminar on tunnelling.
15/12/2010
Building work has started at Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) on a Pharmacy Aseptic Chemotherapy Compounding Unit, a project which the HSE has identified as important for development of cancer services in the region. At an overall cost of €575,000, it is anticipated that the unit will be operation
15/12/2010
A dispute over pay has halted work on the final section of the M7 Dublin to Limerick motorway, which was due to open by the end of the month. Staff working for KC Civil Engineering said on Monday they have not received their pay cheques and are protesting 'on site' and preventing works going ahead.
15/12/2010
CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland has launched a suite of Essential Skills resources aimed specifically at construction students and the existing workforce. These contextualised resources have been developed to support Essential Skills Numeracy and Literacy tutors in their efforts to make pr
15/12/2010
A popular Hastings Hotel's seaside hotel in Northern Ireland, the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa has announced that it is the first hotel there to receive a prestigious Green Hospitality Eco Label. The Green Hospitality Awards programme is recognised both nationally and internationally for encouragin
14/12/2010
An important professional construction body has called on the NI Assembly to urgently put its 'house in order' and finalise a budget in order to slow the falling trend in local house prices. A new Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Ulster Bank review has show prices are expected to g
14/12/2010
A decision by Galway County Council to grant planning permission for a housing estate outside Kinvara town - said to be on a blind corner on a main road to Ballyvaughan and the Burren area - has come in for judicial criticism. The plan was to build 31 houses on a main road with a 100km/h speed limi
14/12/2010
Vent-Axia's Lo-Carbon Sentinel Kinetic mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system is providing excellent indoor air quality at the first phase of the Honeypark apartments in Dun Laoghaire, a development of 143 social and affordable homes located south-east of Dublin City Centre, whilst
14/12/2010
It has emerged that stolen plant machinery worth one million euro has been recovered by police in the Irish Republic. Tractors, excavators and mini-cranes were among the machinery recovered near Balbriggan, north Co Dublin last weekend. It is believed some of the equipment was stolen in England th
14/12/2010
Northern Ireland Water (NIW) was fined £500 plus court costs of £34 at Dungannon Magistrates' Court this week for making a polluting discharge to a waterway. On 31 March last year, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) observed a grey/white po
14/12/2010
A Co Armagh-based firm, Environmental Marketing Solutions (EMS) is helping two islands in the Azores to tackle chronic packaging waste problems after securing a series of export deals worth more than £2 million in Portugal, the Middle East and Great Britain, with support from Invest Northern Ireland
13/12/2010
Northern Ireland's Development Management Statistical Bulletin for the second quarter of 2010/11 has now been published. It contains statistics on planning applications received and processed for the period July 1 to September 30 this year. The statistical bulletin contains data on a variety of p
13/12/2010
The provision of mental heath care in Dublin is to get a major fillip with the construction of a new mental health centre and care home in Whitehall, Dublin. The new health facility at Highfield Hospital will also create as many as 300 jobs in the building phase. The project will cost €37m to comp
13/12/2010
Building work has now started after the Stormont Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey cut the first sod at a new £4.9m purpose-built Neurology Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital. Speaking at the event in south Belfast, the Minister commented that this was a much needed project: "This new Neurology Unit w
13/12/2010
Capital housing funds are to be dramatically cut with news in the Republic's Budget that the overall Environment and Local Government fund is to be reduced by 27%, a cut that will see almost €2.2 billion in 2010 reduced to just under €1.6 billion. The largest cuts are to investment in infrastructu
13/12/2010
Construction has commenced on a development to enhance a successful Co Down community serving those with learning disabilities. Glencraig Camphill Community near Holywood - which helps the less able to live and work in an extended family setting with support volunteers - hosted the Stormont Energy
13/12/2010
The soccer world has turned out to help kick-off warnings of a 'silent killer' message to NI's sports community and has backed the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland's (HSENI) recently launched campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The hard-hitting c
10/12/2010
Planners are to look again at a €300m harbour redevelopment in Co Wicklow. The proposal at Greystones has been referred to An Bord Pleanála after Wicklow County Council and its private sector partner, Sispar consortium sought changes. These would see the number of new homes in the scheme increase
10/12/2010
Although contractors have already been signed up, political developments have cast doubt on a promise made by the Dáil Government to give £400m (€500m) to the Stormont Executive to upgrade the A5/M2, Dublin to Londonderry Road as part of an £850m scheme. Most of the N2 to N14 upgrade from Monahan t
10/12/2010
Education was in focus this week as the East Antrim MLA Ken Robinson welcomed the official opening of the latest phase of improvements at the Newtownabbey campus of the Northern Regional College in Co Antrim. Marking the completion of the £10m building phase at the Shore Road facility he said: "Fur
10/12/2010
There is to be a drop of at least half in the amount of funds available for Galway to build more houses. The capital housing allocation was one of the big casualties in this week's Budget - down from €880m in 2010 to €520m in 2011 - with Housing Minister, Michael Finneran, signalling the end of the
10/12/2010
The first-ever prospectus detailing the diverse range of 'clean and green' courses offered by universities and colleges across Northern Ireland, has been unveiled by Carbon Zero NI. The comprehensive prospectus offers full details on courses range from intensive one-day workshops designed to enhan
10/12/2010
The extensive range of plastic plumbing and drainage systems, manufactured by Mallusk-based Brett Martin, were featured at this year's Plumbing and Heating Trade Show, held in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast. The annual trade show brings together a variety of industry professionals from across Ireland,
09/12/2010
Social Development Minister Alex Attwood, has cut the first sod of the Skainos Project on the Lower Newtownards Road in East Belfast. The Skainos Project involves the demolition of a number of buildings to create a purpose built, flagship development specifically designed to serve the needs of the
09/12/2010
Bord Gáis Networks has unveiled plans to bring natural gas to homes and businesses in Tipperary Town. The construction work on the pipeline, which starts this week, will see customers in Tipperary Town joining a network of 640,000 customers in Ireland who enjoy this clean, efficient and environmen
09/12/2010
Builders, Kingspan have said the latest round of imposed water shutdowns in Dublin and other areas is further proof that the Government needs to make rainwater harvesting compulsory in new build projects, and also offer an incentive to existing homeowners to retrofit it. "It is incomprehensible tha
09/12/2010
Building products manufacturer Steadmans will celebrate its centenary year in 2011 and the company will use the occasion to remember its heritage and look forward to continued growth and innovation. Steadmans was established in 1911 in Warnell, Carlisle, when George Steadman set up Caldbeck's black
09/12/2010
A £6m Primark investment has given a border city a pre-festive jobs boost as Buttercrane Shopping Centre, Newry welcomed a state-of-the-art, 50,000sqft store extension providing 100 full and part time jobs. Following the construction phase - that also boosted local builders with temporary employme
09/12/2010
Budget increases in fuel duties and taxes will put an estimated 100 haulage companies out of business in 2011 while inflating the cost of freight transport, the Irish Road Haulage Association said. "The Government have failed to differentiate between discretionary and non-discretionary users of fue
08/12/2010
Dublin South West T.D. Charlie O'Connor has welcomed the funding commitment from the Government for the completion of the Luas extension to Citywest. "The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has confirmed to me that the Luas extension to Citywest will be completed in 2011 and funding for this is pr
08/12/2010
A jobs fillip in Co Armagh was on the agenda for the NI Secretary of State this week when he saw the finishing touches being put to a new Tesco that is due to open shortly in Craigavon. Owen Paterson heard that the Tesco Extra store which is set to deliver a £30m investment and up to 300 new retail
08/12/2010
Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood is encouraging anyone aged 60 or over, and who has not received a Winter Fuel Payment before, to check their entitlement. Mr Attwood said: "While over 300,000 people will benefit from an automatic payment this year, there may also be people who are work
08/12/2010
Dublin's High Court has moved to quash planning permission for a large quarry in Co Monaghan in a move that could have major implications for other quarries throughout the State. Following a judicial review sought by An Taisce, Mr Justice Peter Charleton quashed a decision by An Bord Pleanála to gr
08/12/2010
Only one of four iconic Newtownabbey tower blocks have been fully refurbished as cash flow problems stymied completion of a home improvement scheme. The famous 'Multies' in Co Antrim's Rathcoole have seen refurbishment work being scaled back due to a shortage of funding. The four multi-storey flat
08/12/2010
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson MP, visited Craigavon's soon to be opened Tesco Extra store which is set to deliver a £30 million+ investment and up to 300 new retail jobs when it opens next month. The project has provided employment for around 150 construction workers since
07/12/2010
Dublin city councillors have agreed a plan to restrict the construction of tall buildings in Dublin city. Councillors voted on the final draft of the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017, which bans new office buildings of more than seven storeys and apartment blocks of more than six storeys thro
07/12/2010
A regional town centre is set for an investment boost with news that Castle Mall shopping centre in Antrim town has been bought by the Edinburgh House business group. The new owners plan to develop the centre by bringing in new retailers to fill some of the vacant units in the centre, creating jobs
07/12/2010
There has been a major investment in roads across a Co Antrim city with the Transport Minister Conor Murphy welcoming Roads Service's progress on work totalling £6.4million in the Lisburn area this year - and there's an important motorway connection being planned as well. "Roads Service is committe
07/12/2010
ESB Novusmodus LP, the cleantech and renewable energy fund, has agreed an investment of up to £4.5 million in Bioflame Limited, the developer of small-scale (2.5MW electrical) generation plants. Bioflame's novel and patented advanced combustion technology allows for a wide range of biomass waste fu
07/12/2010
Dublin South Senator Maria Corrigan has confirmed that contractors are being invited to express an interest in the construction of a new school building for St. Colmcilles Junior and Senior School, Knocklyon. St. Colmcilles is currently the biggest national school in the country and caters for 1,
07/12/2010
Over £3m is being spent in the Larne Borough Council area this year on roads. The A8 Belfast to Larne Dualling scheme is one of the developments with the Transport Minister Conor Murphy noting: "Since my announcement of the 'Preferred Route' for the new road in August 2009, scheme development has p
06/12/2010
Despite hard times in the beleaguered sector, there was cause for a birthday celebration this week as the Stormont Finance Minister Sammy Wilson backed a milestone in a successful partnership between the construction industry and Government. Speaking at an event to mark 10 years of the Construction
06/12/2010
Offshore energy may prove to be a winner for Ireland with news of a development in Brussels that marks the beginning of formal preparations for "one of the most ambitious renewable energy projects worldwide". The Energy Minister Eamon Ryan said that 10 European countries, including Ireland, have si
06/12/2010
The issue of unfinished Houses across the Irish State is to be tackled at top level. Encouraged by many developers' determination to finish their work, John O'Connor, Chief Executive of the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (Housing Agency) and Chairman of the Advisory Group on Unfinished
06/12/2010
Leading figures in the construction industry in Northern Ireland found out about the creative design possibilities of concrete in construction at a special event by concrete products manufacturer Acheson & Glover. Belfast's Waterfront Conference Centre was the venue for the book launch of 'Concrete
06/12/2010
A Stormont politician has been building closer relationships with the NI construction sector. The Employment and Learning Minister, Danny Kennedy, has hosted a reception in Parliament Buildings, to celebrate Northern Ireland competitors' recent successes in an international skills competition. Twe
06/12/2010
For more than 35 years we have worked with Irish Retailers to provide consumers with a door collection that offers real choice in terms of value, style and enduring quality. Over that time we have carefully considered the subtle distinctions that Irish Consumers prefer when designing their homes.
03/12/2010
The ability to offer an all-round superior package has led to Northern Ireland concrete products manufacturer Acheson & Glover achieving sales of £2 million in the university buildings sector during the last 12 months. The County Tyrone company has been winning substantial new build university cont
03/12/2010
Lord Mayor Gerry Breen has opened 'Swan Leisure', Dublin City Council's new leisure centre. "Swan Leisure is a wonderful addition Rathmines and surrounding areas. The leisure centre opened to the public in early September and is already proving very popular with schools, community groups and indi
03/12/2010
ESB, Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the progression of up to 200 electrical apprentices through to a third level engineering degree. The first class of 35 will commence their formal four year
03/12/2010
Transport Minister Conor Murphy has officially opened the £146m A4 Dungannon to Ballygawley dual carriageway one month ahead of schedule with the First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. The 20.5 km A4/A5 corridor improvement scheme also includes the realignment of
03/12/2010
A new state-of-the-art £23 million Wastewater Treatment Works at Antrim has been officially opened by the NI Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy. The project, which is designed to cater for a population of 87,000, included the upgrading of the facility and improving the wastewater infrastru
03/12/2010
Alexander Gordon, employed by Norman Gordon, Kilkeel, from Southern Regional College competed against some of the best young people in the UK to win bronze medal in joinery at the UK Skillbuild competition held last month. The Skillbuild competition is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK
03/12/2010
PVC product guarantees are in the news with a senior executive at a Cork-based firm that employs 200 staff throughout Europe revealing details of a 30-year, transferable assurance on many of its roofline, cladding and rainwater products. Aidan Harte, the Managing Director of Freefoam Plastics, is b
02/12/2010
Construction on the new emergency department at Kerry General Hospital has begun. According to Kerry North Fianna Fáil TD Thomas McEllistrim, the building contractors, BAM Building Ltd, have moved onto the site and preliminary ground works have commenced. The new emergency department will feature
02/12/2010
There's good news in the air this week with the announcement that the construction of a wind farm in Co Tyrone will create up to 20 building jobs. Gaelectric, the Irish renewable energy group, has announced it has received planning approval for the 15 Megawatt (MW) farm at Inishative near Pomeroy.
02/12/2010
A major roads infrastructure link has been officially opened by the Roads Minister Conor Murphy - and has also been hailed as a boost for the beleaguered building trade by the First Minister. Conor Murphy cut the ribbon on the A29 Carland Bridge scheme along with the First Minister Peter Robinson a
02/12/2010
Northern Ireland-based concrete products manufacturers Acheson & Glover is tapping into a lucrative new market in the UK for supermarket construction, with a number of substantial contract wins. The company has secured a contract for a new Sainsbury's supermarket valued at £25 million at Welwyn Gar
02/12/2010
Co Down-based Graham Construction has secured a £3.44 million contract to carry out extensive upgrade works on Kennacraig Pier on the Mull of Kintyre in SCotland. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) appointed Graham following a Public Contracts Scotland tendering process and work will begin o
02/12/2010
A newly proposed Assembly Bill on the devolution of planning powers has been slammed as being too hurried. The Ulster Unionist Environment Spokesperson Danny Kinahan has responded to the Environment Minster's announcement that planning powers in Northern Ireland are to be devolved to local councils
01/12/2010
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has announced it "completely rejects the flawed and one-sided analysis of the Agency published by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF)". NAMA's key points in response to CIF Report are:
01/12/2010
A housing firm has offered householders in four Irish estates a share of €7m to compensate for structural defects. Menolly Homes wants over 700 families in north Co Dublin to drop legal action over defects, such as the swelling and cracking of walls and ceilings, caused by the presence of the miner
01/12/2010
Minister for Disability and Mental Health, John Moloney TD officially opened the Pine Ward, a new acute psychiatric ward at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. The opening of the ward marks the completion of the new acute admission facility for the North West Dublin Mental Health Service, which serv
01/12/2010
News that Northern Ireland's councils will soon be taking full responsibility for drawing up their own development plans and also making the vast majority of planning decisions has been revealed. The move is part of an overall reform of local government, which - despite obvious delays in implementa
01/12/2010
The NI Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood, has launched a new guide to help combat homelessness - by tackling rent arrears before it happens. The new Rent Collection Guidance is targeted at social housing landlords to encourage better management of debt-related issues, which could otherwise
01/12/2010
A Co Armagh construction sector firm, Rapid International, the Tandragee-based manufacturer of equipment for the concrete, construction and environmental sectors has won new business in the Middle East and Mexico as a result of its strategic focus on new export markets. The company is supplying con
