21/06/2010

Ritchie Motion To Support Building Industry

The importance of the beleaguered building trade to NI is being underlined this week - as a local MP sets down a motion in Westminster.

SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie said she has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) at Westminster urging support for the construction industry.

The South Down MP: "The construction industry makes an enormous contribution to the local economy in Northern Ireland through employment and the provision of hospitals, schools, housing and roads.

"It is vitally important that the budgetary allocation to Northern Ireland through the block grant from Westminster enables the renewal and re-building of the construction industry during this period of economic downturn.

"The construction industry makes a valuable contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. It is the most effective focus for government investment in Northern Ireland due to its extended supply chain. For every £1 invested in construction output, £2.84 in total economic output is generated."

She continued: "These are not the only advantages. Due to its low import requirements, a high proportion of investment in construction remains in the local economy. It is labour-intensive, creating jobs for all skills levels but especially for those lower-skilled workers who are most vulnerable in times of recession.

"Finally, it provides long-term economic and social benefits to Northern Ireland by adding to its capital stock through the provision of new social housing, schools, hospitals, and colleges of further education," she said.

(NS/GK)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 October 2002
Awareness week highlights risks of working at heights
Local companies have thrown their weight behind the European Health & Safety Week to raise awareness of the danger of working at heights on construction sites. The safety initiative comes in the wake of incidents in which two men tragically lost their lives as a result of falls.
10 October 2002
Gilbert Ash gives students on-site insight
Construction company Gilbert Ash has hosted an event for a number of HND Building Engineering and AVCE Construction & Built Environment students from Upper Bann Institute, as part of National Construction Week.
11 July 2007
‘Considerable growth’ of local construction industry
A house-building boom in Northern Ireland has fuelled substantial growth in the construction sector, a new report has revealed. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) also said new houses have been built at a faster rate in the past three months compared with the last 13 years.
16 April 2014
NISRA Publish Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin
The latest edition of the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin has been published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). The bulletin provides a general measure of change in real terms in the output of the Construction Industry in Northern Ireland.
25 January 2013
Executive 'Committed' To Construction Industry
The Northern Ireland Executive remains committed to the construction industry in the face of further declines in 2012. This was the message from Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, as he reacted to the latest figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.