The Construction Employers Federation has put forth its key requests for the next Northern Ireland Executive ahead of the Assembly Election later this year.

The organisation has published its Manifesto for the 2022 NI Assembly Election, outlining the need for a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic which helps stimulate and grow the local construction sector.

Key asks outlined in the Manifesto include the establishment of a Procurement Review Service; agreement of a multi-year capital budget that delivers key projects such as the remaining Executive Flagships, the York Street Interchange and the A1 Junctions; and the creation of an independent Infrastructure Commission.

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The CEF is also targeting the development of a minimum of 9,500 new homes for each of the next 15 years in order to meet housing need in Northern Ireland.

Speaking about the Manifesto, CEF Managing Director Mark Spence said: "We believe that the delivery of this ambitious agenda can help underpin our sector's recovery from both the challenges of the pandemic and the unprecedented nature of the materials shortages and price increases of the last 18 months. 

"The next Executive must take significant steps, many of which require fundamental reform of existing structures, to build confidence in the industry and ensure that the construction sector can play its part in meeting the challenges that our society faces. 

"Crucially, whoever makes up the next Executive must ensure that the coming mandate has political stability at its core. Since the restoration of devolution in 2007, we have been plagued by 15 years of stop-start, largely ineffectual government which has ducked many of the systemic issues that repeatedly present themselves. The next Executive cannot be a repeat of what has gone before."