Covid lockdown sees construction work stop except for essential projects

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Construction sites across the country closed this evening as new Covid-19 restrictions came into force for all but essential building projects. The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) says this further disruption will have a significantly bigger impact than the last shutdown, which saw a 10% or €3 billion decline in economic activity in the sector. Most commercial and private residential construction sites closed at 6pm as the tighter Level 5 measures came into force. 222,000 people are employed across the industry - 145,000 directly in construction - with the remainder in the wider sector who are worried about the long-term impact on employment, and about the uncertainty as to how long this closure will last. Many are hoping building work can reopen at the end of January, but the big concern is about when work can resume if the closure continues beyond the end of this month, as many across the business and commercial sectors believe it will. Conor O'Connell, Southern Region Director with the CIF, said it was very disappointing to have to be closing down again having just returned to work last Monday after the Christmas break. "This is the second major disruption in the past 12 months. The industry relies on continuity, on good project management, on clear sight lines in relation to availability of employment, and it's extremely disruptive. "It takes significant resources to man up a site and also to shut it down. It's not simply a question of closing the door and w

Published 2021-01-08 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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