Ireland's Construction Industry Federation has put its weight behind a 'yes' vote on the Lisbon Treaty.

It has called on all sectors of construction industry to support the referendum, which it says will bolster economic recovery, jobs and provide the basis for sustainable growth into the future.

Speaking at the CIF’s Annual National Conference, federation president Andy O’Gorman said: "A Yes vote in the Lisbon Referendum is a vital piece in Ireland’s economic recovery jigsaw.

"It is important to remember that Ireland’s success in attracting high quality foreign direct investment has been largely predicated on our access to the markets of Europe," he said.

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"From a construction point of view, inward investment on the back of Ireland’s EU membership has been a major driver of work for the industry, helping to create and sustain high quality jobs in commercial and industrial construction.

"The Irish industry has successfully undertaken large-scale and complex commercial and industrial projects for multi-nationals located here and the design, engineering and project management skills gained have made Irish companies amongst the most competitive, productive and innovative anywhere in the world.

"A positive vote on the Lisbon Referendum is one of the measures needed to stabilise the economy and our industry."

Andy O’Gorman also reiterated the CIF's call on Government to delivery the National Development Plan within the 2013 timeframe in order to boost economic competitiveness and protect jobs.

"The Government should take advantage of the excellent value for money in construction and the availability of highly skilled and motivated construction workers who are currently under-utilised or out of work.

Failure to deliver on the reduced spending targets set out in April’s Supplementary Budget will have a catastrophic impact on construction employment, adding to the social welfare burden whilst further eroding the State’s income base and spending across the wider economy."

(PR/GK)