Draft letter for TDs about Construction Contracts Act

[insert your local TD name here]

Dáil Éireann,

Leinster House,

Dublin 2.

RE: Construction Contracts Act 2013 – Commencement Date

[insert date] 2014

Dear [insert TD name here],

The Construction Industry Federation has been trying for the past 4 years to support the introduction of the Construction Contracts legislation which helps to deal with payment of the supply chain on construction projects.

As you know, the legislation, now referred to as the Construction Contracts Act 2013 was signed into law on 29^th July 2013 by The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins however the industry remains in limbo whilst we await the publication of the Statutory Instrument.

The Act is designed to deal with poor payment practise throughout the industry and to provide a greater degree of protection for the supply chain.

Matters remaining to be resolved include:

1. The establishment of the adjudicators panel
2. The appointment of a chairperson for the panel
3. The setting up of the administration office to manage adjudication appointments under the Act
4. A commencement date

At the present time there is no certainty as to when the final administrative steps will be completed to provide for a commencement date.

Difficult trading conditions continue and the safety mechanisms that the new legislation could create are not in place. As such contractors continue to operate in an extremely volatile and risky financial environment.

The matter is now critical to SME contractors and their employees who continue to be hardest hit.

We need your help.

We would appreciate it if you would raise this matter immediately with Minister Simon Harris and the appropriate departmental staff.

We must have a date for the commencement of the Act now.

Irish contractors and smaller family enterprises are particularly exposed without the legislation and do not have the ability to wait for any period of time for the final matters to be resolved. We need the Act to be commenced so that a contract signed in Ireland can rely on the provisions of the legislation.

I would welcome an opportunity to discuss the matter further with you or any of the departmental staff if that would assist matters.

Yours sincerely,

[insert member name here]