Statement in response to the publication by NISRA of the latest edition of the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin
Commenting on the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin, Neal Taylor, Audit Partner at leading business advisory firm Grant Thornton Northern Ireland, said:
“The latest Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin, which shows that the level of work carried out in the industry during the final quarter of 2017 was at its highest in seven years, will provide a major boost to those involved in the sector, especially given the recent negative headlines in the media.
“Total output was 1.8% higher than the third quarter and 3.6% up on the same period in 2016.
“It is encouraging also that much of the increased activity was accounted for by a 2.6% rise in new work, the largest sub-sector, reversing a decline experienced in the previous three months.
“As anticipated by our clients in the construction industry, the overall figure was hampered by a 5.5% decrease in infrastructure output, due largely to a sharp decline in new private infrastructure. By contrast, public infrastructure activity rose but remains relatively subdued compared to recent years.”