Author: Kevin Barry BSc(Hons) MRICS

The Portaferry Cohousing project, located on a 10-acre site north of Cloughey Road in Portaferry (behind Rectory Wood), is set to be the first co-housing development in Northern Ireland. It features 32 eco-friendly detached and semi-detached homes built to Passive House standards, each with private gardens and kitchens. Additional elements include a large Common House […]

Ards Borough Council merged with North Down Borough Council on April 1, 2015, to form Ards and North Down Borough Council. Introduction Outsourcing leisure services, such as the management of sports centers, gyms, and recreational facilities, has been a common strategy for UK local councils aiming to address budgetary pressures and improve efficiency. This approach […]

NISRA has published figures on NI spending from 2015 to 2025. Looking at the spending figures in the context of a potential united Ireland scenario, there would be several significant financial pressures and adjustments to consider: Based on the comprehensive data from both documents, here’s an analysis of how Northern Ireland’s spending figures would compare […]

The funding from the Northern Ireland Football Fund, as announced on September 11, 2025, is allocated across 20 clubs in various geographical regions of Northern Ireland. While exact per-club amounts haven’t been specified (only tier ranges: Tier 3 >£6m, Tier 2 £1.5m-£6m, Tier 1 <£1.5m), the distribution can be analyzed by traditional county lines as […]

The original £36.2 million budget for the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme, earmarked in 2011, would hypothetically need to be adjusted to approximately £59.4 million in 2025 terms to account for increased construction costs, based on the UK Tender Price Index (TPI). This index measures changes in contractors’ pricing levels for building projects over time. To arrive […]

The “common good” (also known as the “public good” or “public interest”) is a philosophical and legal principle rooted in political theory, dating back to thinkers like Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, and later formalized in modern governance. It refers to actions, policies, or decisions that benefit society as a whole, rather than prioritizing individual or […]

Gordon Lyons (Northern Ireland’s Minister for Communities and Sports Minister) has released details on the funding for football infrastructure through the Northern Ireland Football Fund. The announcement was made today, September 11, 2025, during a live event, where he outlined which clubs will progress to the next stage of funding allocation from the £36.2 million […]

The top 5 hold-ups in building social housing in the UK, based on a synthesis of reports from government, think tanks, and industry sources, are as follows. These represent the most commonly cited barriers affecting new construction and delivery:

Key Watchdogs Highlighting Cost Overruns in Irish Government Projects The primary watchdog in Ireland for auditing public accounts and highlighting cost overruns is the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), whose reports are often reviewed by the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) also critiques broader fiscal spending overruns. Based on […]

Revolutionizing Construction Procurement: An Update on QUANTUM ALL ISLAND’s Tiered Access Levels In the fast-evolving world of construction, where efficiency, transparency, and cost control are paramount, innovative platforms like QUANTUM ALL ISLAND are making waves across Ireland. Developed over 12 years by Quintin QS, a leading quantity surveying firm in Northern Ireland, this digital tool […]