The Lansdowne Road stadium, which has SISK as the main contractor, is to exceed its €365m budget, due to a decision to increase the facilities at the 50,000 seater stadium. The new facilities to be added to the development include an underground car park, providing for 200 cars and improved catering facilities, has changed from the original design.

Paraig Early, Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority talks to Oonagh Reidy about safety issues in building, injury statistics, site inspections and and why it remains a high risk sector.

Noel Elliot, MD P Elliots, TJ Walsh of Townlink and Don O'Sullivan of CIF all talk about growth prospects for the next 12 months and gives advice to contractors to secure new business.

The Health and Safety Authority have developed a new construction safety code of practice for small contractors. The new code is designed to reduce onsite accidents and will help small contractors comply with the various safety and health legislation and comes into effect on April 2nd. The code comes ahead of an intensive inspections blitz later this year with 7,000 new site inspections planned.

The DKM Construction Earnings Report commissioned by the CIF, has indicated that average wages in the building trade here have increased well ahead of other sectors and are out of line with Western Europe.

In light of the market changes including increased affordability, the Irish Housebuilders Association predict 45,000 units will be completed, with new one-off and public housing programmes likely to remain strong.