Construction output in Northern Ireland experienced another fall in the last quarter, according to the latest figures published by the government.

According to the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin, industry output in the province dropped by 3.6 points.

The primary measure of the value of construction output in Northern Ireland (the Index of Construction) is obtained from the Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Enquiry (QCE).

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This is a statutory survey of construction firms operating in Northern Ireland. Each quarter a sample of construction firms is asked to provide details of the value of construction activity they have undertaken within NI in a specified period. The Index uses 2000 as the base year i.e. (2000=100).

This Bulletin provides a measure of the value of construction output in Northern Ireland for the period 1 July to 30 September 2008.

The provisional seasonally adjusted Index of Construction for the period 1 July to 30 September 2008 is 94.8.

This is a decrease of 3.6 points on the previous quarter and continues the overall downward trend in output that has been evident since the second quarter of 2007.

The main drivers behind the overall decrease in construction output are the decreases in the output of new work in general and housing.

(PR/JM)