en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) has issued a manifesto calling on the next Northern Ireland Executive to deliver 10,000 homes per year within 15 years and secure more funding for infrastructure projects.
Representing approximately 70% of Northern Ireland's construction industry, the federation released the manifesto ahead of next year's Stormont election. The CEF is calling for an infrastructure levy on households, a fiscal agreement with the UK government to increase revenue, and the establishment of an independent infrastructure commission. The manifesto also demands that elected politicians agree on a draft government programme before allocating ministerial portfolios to "ensure political stability".
CEF Chief Executive Mark Spence said Northern Ireland has suffered from "self-inflicted, persistent stop-start devolved government". He noted that the manifesto is set against a backdrop of "the need for political stability, the critical importance of tackling decades of infrastructure and housing blockages, navigating financial challenges wisely, building a Northern Ireland that can meet climate and environmental challenges, and ensuring the skills and workforce to underpin success". Spence criticised "collective political failure and decades of short-term decision-making", stressing that the structural barriers stifling infrastructure delivery in Northern Ireland are well-known and not new to society. He mentioned that many issues remain unresolved since the publication of a platform before the 2016 Assembly election. Spence added that the industry has shown resilience, but potential growth has been stunted by a chronic lack of funding for wastewater infrastructure, a broken planning system, and a lack of fiscal certainty, stating that "resilience is not a substitute for governance" and that political stability and ambition are needed. He warned that failure to act on the CEF's eight key demands would not only delay progress but also exacerbate the high cost of living and doing business, hinder housing construction, deter international investment, and leave Northern Ireland lagging behind competing regions.
The CEF is calling for a simplified "skills and qualifications system" with "streamlined and supported entry routes" to reduce the burden and risk for small and medium-sized enterprises in taking on apprentices and new staff. The manifesto also demands a legally binding commitment to fund Northern Ireland Water's PC28 price control cycle at levels determined by the Utility Regulator. Additionally, the CEF is calling for a regional deal with Westminster on an Infrastructure Transformation Fund, a multi-year capital budget to 2030 to provide fiscal certainty for government clients, and an investment strategy to 2050 supporting key projects such as the York Street Interchange, Casement Park, and Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 2. The manifesto also calls for a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to address Northern Ireland's "broken planning system".
Dominic Lavery, Managing Director of Belfast-based Farrans (a subsidiary of Sisk), said that the multi-year budget envisioned in the CEF manifesto would "create fiscal certainty for all parties, from designers and contractors right through to our supply chain", enabling businesses to make long-term strategic decisions and investments. Belfast civil engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey said it welcomed the CEF's focus on "delivery and long-term certainty" and suggested modernising procurement approaches to include broader portfolios, delivering better outcomes and giving the industry more confidence to invest in talent and supply chain capacity.
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