Author: Kevin Barry BSc(Hons) MRICS

Update as of May 2025 Construction Progress and Milestones An artist’s impression of the planned Narrow Water Bridge, showing the cable-stayed span (left) and the opening bascule span (right) across the Newry River at Carlingford Lough.Construction of the Narrow Water Bridge officially commenced in mid-2024 after decades of anticipation. Site works began in May 2024, […]

UK Construction Industry: Q1 2025 RICS Monitor Analysis Overall Market Conditions The Q1 2025 RICS UK Construction Monitor shows a construction market that continues to remain largely flat, mirroring sentiment from the previous quarter. The headline workloads indicator posted a net balance of -1%, unchanged from Q4 2024, indicating stagnation in overall construction activity. Financial […]

Reviewing the ESRI report on the economic comparison between Ireland and Northern Ireland (NI) alongside the Secretary of State’s speech, below one can analyze how these materials relate to unionist perspectives on “preserving the Union.” Economic Divergence and Unionist Concerns The ESRI report highlights significant economic divergence between Ireland and Northern Ireland that would concern […]

Looking at this ESRI report from a broad perspective, there are several key findings that would be relevant regardless of one’s religious background: Overall Report Highlights The report reveals a significant and growing economic divergence between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Key findings include: Educational Situation in Northern Ireland The educational indicators for Northern Ireland show […]

Current status: The Review of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland is an independent assessment commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir. Announced in November 2024, it’s being conducted by a panel chaired by Dr. Viviane Gravey of Queen’s University Belfast, alongside Diane Ruddock and John McCallister. The review […]

Northern Ireland businesses facing tariffs on goods, particularly in the context of post-Brexit trade arrangements and recent U.S. tariff announcements, have access to a reimbursement mechanism under the Windsor Framework. This framework, agreed upon by the UK and EU, governs Northern Ireland’s unique trading position, allowing goods to move tariff-free into both the UK internal […]

Given the worries UK decision-makers are facing on April 8, 2025, here are the top three levers they could pull today to address the most pressing issues—economic uncertainty, fiscal constraints, and geopolitical instability—while maintaining public trust and momentum: These levers hit the sweet spot of urgency and feasibility: stimulus shores up the economy today, trade […]

The transition from 26 councils to 11 “super councils” in Northern Ireland, implemented in April 2015 as part of the Review of Public Administration (RPA), was a significant restructuring of local government aimed at improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing local decision-making. Below is an analysis of this shift and an evaluation of whether its […]

The “Funding and Delivery of Public Services: Follow Up” report (HC477) from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee contains several key points relevant to the building industry: Infrastructure and Housing Crisis Funding Challenges Reform Recommendations Revenue and Investment Potential From a building industry perspective, this report signals both challenges and potential opportunities, with recommendations that could […]