Letter from RIAI President Paul Keogh to Editor of Irish Times
Published: Thursday, January 21, 2010
21 January 2010
Madam,
There is no surprise, frankly, at Lord Puttnam’s statement that Ireland should be ashamed of the poor quality of our schools infrastructure (Irish Times 20th January 2010).
Indeed, the Department of Education’s own website confirms what everybody involved in education knows: 1,100 schools seeking major capital investment, while less than 250 are in architectural planning and construction.
What Lord Puttnam’s statement does not reveal is that comparable deficits have been identified in healthcare, leisure, sport and culture; not to mention transport, water services, broadband and urban regeneration. Meanwhile, our population is projected to grow to 5,000,000 in the next decades.
The Government’s “Smart Economy” framework clearly states that first-class infrastructure is essential – and we cannot afford to offer a poor quality living environment – if inward investment and talented people are to be attracted to locate in Ireland.
Why is it then that our construction industry is currently operating at approximately 30% of its optimum capacity, and over 40% of architects are unemployed?
Investment in infrastructure and construction is absolutely essential to Ireland’s recovery – economically, socially and environmentally. But this requires planning and programming. When our economy recovers, it will do the country no service if we have not put in place the structures, plans, and building programmes needed to service the “Smart Economy” which is the cornerstone of Government policy for economic renewal. Investment in infrastructure would also create employment, both directly in construction and in numerous knock-on sectors from professional services to retailing.
Minister Batt O’Keefe, referring to last year’s underspend, cited the Government’s own contract procedures for some of the delay in completing projects (Dáil Éireann, 20th October 2009). The experience of RIAI architects across the country is that school projects can take as long as eight years from inception to getting on site. It is therefore imperative that we remove roadblocks to the procurement process and progress planning and design urgently, so that we are ready to start construction as monies become available when the economy recovers as projected.
While the RIAI welcomes recent statements from Government that investment in education will be prioritised in the current year, we remain concerned that Ireland’s overall investment in essential infrastructure still falls far short of what is required.
As incoming President of the RIAI, I look forward to working with Government to develop proposals to effect improvements in the procurement of essential infrastructure – and schools in particular – and the commissioning of architectural services.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Keogh FRIAI
President
RIAI
8 Merrion Square
Dublin 2
Categories: Architecture
