Time is right for State to invest in infrastructure - Sisk chief executive

THE STATE should take advantage of low construction costs and continue to invest in infrastructure that will need in the future, the chief executive of one the country’s biggest building and civil engineering companies said yesterday.

Liam Nagle, chief executive of Sisk Group, told an Institute of Directors lunch in Dublin yesterday that countries need to invest for their futures, even during difficult times.

“We must recognise the value of investment when costs are low and we will see the benefits of investment when market conditions improve. The time to plan for tomorrow is not tomorrow – it is now,” he said.

He added that the Republic must continue to invest in upgrading road, rail and marine infrastructure and argued that we can clearly see the benefits of public-private partnership projects such as the Luas tram system in Dublin and the Shannon Tunnel.

Mr Nagle said a new government created the opportunity to move past discussions about what went wrong and to get a clearer perspective on the policies that are needed for the future.

Sisk is one of a group of Irish building companies that are winning major construction contracts abroad. It has operations in Britain, Holland, Belgium, Poland and the Middle East. Towards the end of last year Sisk, along with a partner, Dragados, won contracts for construction of a series of tunnels associated with London’s new commuter line.