Builders say publicsector cuts couldshatter recovery

The warning came as the FMB published the results of its State of Trade Survey for Q3 2014, which shows that Northern Ireland’s results have remained in positive territory for the sixth successive quarter.

Louise Ward, Services and Public Affairs Executive at FMB Northern Ireland, said: “The SME construction sector has been slowly recovering over the past 18 months but it is important to remember that the wider construction sector won’t reach pre-recession levels of output until 2017. Worse still, the looming public sector spending cuts in Northern Ireland are likely to pull the rug from under us before we have managed to regain our footing.”

Ms Ward concluded: “There is now a growing gap between NI and the rest of the UK in terms of public sector construction projects and this is leading to a major drain of skilled people to the mainland. Given the volume of construction work in the pipeline in Great Britain, and the higher wages on offer, it will be extremely difficult for NI to regain the skilled workers who understandably are migrating to England, Wales or Scotland.”