I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 44, 47, 50, 53, 55, 60, 72, 73, 79, 80, 83, 90, 100 and 104 together.
The report of the Strategic Review Committee on the Construction Industry, Building Our Future Together, was approved by the then Government and published in June 1997. The committee was broadly based and representative of private and public clients, the design professions, contractors, unions, and building product manufacturers. The report contained a total of 86 recommendations, including a recommendation that fixed price tendering should apply to fully designated projects with construction periods not exceeding 11 months.
In October 1997, I established a broadly based forum for the construction industry to advise on and oversee the detailed implementation of all of the recommendations contained in the strategic review committee's report. I understand that, at a meeting in early December 1998, the forum plans to finalise detailed proposals for the implementation of some 40 recommendations, including that on fixed price tendering.
Both the forum and myself have received a considerable volume of representations about the fixed price tendering recommendation from the Association of Electrical Contractors (Ireland) and individual electrical contractors. I do not want to comment on this specific recommendation at this stage until I have received and considered the forum's specific implementation proposals and report.
In general terms, however, the 86 recommendations were agreed and adopted by the broadly based strategic review committee without formal dissent from any committee member. They were subsequently accepted by the Government. The committee's recommendations were approved for implementation as an integrated package. There is a consensus between the construction industry and myself that the recommendations must all be implemented as a package, without cherry-picking specific recommendations which benefit some parties to the exclusion of certain recommendations which benefit other parties.
