
Master Builders & Contractors Association
The Master Builders’ and Contractors’ Association is the representative Association for firms involved in main and general building contracting. The Association promotes, and represents members’ interests to Government Departments, public and private sector clients and the construction professionals. The Association particularly focuses on tendering and contractual issues, where the promotion of best practice is to the fore.
Members of the MBCA contribute to the work of a number of external committees such as the Liaison Committee which agrees the Code of Good Practice for tendering and contractual matters with the RIAI, SCSI and the IE/ACEI.
Services
Provided by MBCA
Main Contracting
The Staff of the Main Contracting Department provide assistance to members across a wide range of areas as set out below.
Specialist Contracting Services
The Department provides information and assistance on all contractual issues including Prequalification, Tendering, Contract issues and disputes, and it can provide detailed reviews of tender and contract documents and advice on the risks being presented.
Learning & Development
Training Programmes
The Main Contracting Department in the CIF is responsible for the development of training programmes for members, which are delivered by subject matter experts. Recent training programmes delivered to members include
Prequalification and Tendering
Construction Contracts Act 2013
Getting Started with Public Procurement
Basics of Construction Law
If members are interested in company specific training on a particular topic, please contact the Main Contracting Department for further information.
Webinars
Another feature of the offering to members are webinars, which are arranged on a regular basis on areas of interest to members and topical issues in the industry. Past webinars includes topics such as:
Brexit
Making Covid-19 Related Claims
Green Procurement
Adjudication
All members are notified of upcoming webinars, which are free to attend for paid-up members of the CIF.
Industrial Relations & Employment Services
All members of the CIF have access to the Industrial Relations Department which provides invaluable support and assistance to members in respect of Industrial Relations issues.
The Industrial Relations Sub-Committee of the CIF deals with policy matters in relation to pay and conditions of employment of workers in the industry including issues such as hourly rates, pensions, sick pay, working hours, union engagement etc. Main Contracting members of the CIF are very well represented on this Committee by nominees from the Master Builders’ and Contractors’ Association and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association.
Additional Services
Payment Recovery Assistance Programme
One vital service available to all fully paid-up members of the CIF is the Payment Recovery Assistance Programme. This programme is offered in conjunction with solicitor’s firms who are business members of the CIF.
The PRAP Scheme has been in operation to 2010 and provides a unique and highly beneficial service to members who find themselves in difficulty when trying to recover payment from their clients.
For further information on the PRAP scheme please contact the main contracting team by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (01) 406 6000.
Officers

MBCA Annual Dinner Gold Sponsor
The MBCA Annual Dinner is taking place on Friday, 3rd November with support from our Gold Sponsor – Procore
Procore – Connect everyone on your project with one platform.
Procore connects everyone on the project team with all of the information they need to get the job done on time, under budget, with quality and with accuracy. Owners, contractors and subcontractors are all benefiting from the single-platform construction management solution, and over 1 million projects and more than $1T+ in construction volume have run on Procore’s platform.
Procore’s mission is to help provide construction professionals with a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use platform, together with industry-leading customer service. Procore’s software is a complete construction platform that brings together the entire project team with one place to do what they do best – build

MBCA Annual Dinner Support Sponsor
The MBCA Annual Dinner is taking place on Friday, 3rd November with support from our Sponsor – Construction Professional Skillnet
The Construction Professionals Skillnet is a network which provides funded training and development solutions specifically for the construction industry.
It:
Saves you money, by offering quality courses that are value for money and that your company may not be able to provide on its own
Saves you time and resources, by sourcing and providing relevant courses and programmes, which can be implemented in the workplace immediately
Helps you improve knowledge, skills and practice within your business and the industry as a whole
Enables networking within and across the industry sectors through our events
Key Contacts
On MBCA
Paul Sheridan
Director of Main Contracting
As Director of Main Contracting Services with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), Paul provides administrative leadership of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association and Master Builders and Contractors Association. He is also the secretary to the CIF’s Procurement, Tendering and Contractual Matters Policy Sub-Committee. Paul is a Chemical Engineering Graduate, and holds a postgraduate diploma in Construction Law and Contract Administration. He also has experience in and holds qualifications in Strategy and Innovation, Business Transformation, Organisation Development, Leadership, Lean 6-Sigma and Strategic HR. Paul began his career as a Contracts Manager in the Water and Waste Water Industry. He previously worked in the Tendering and Contracting Department in the CIF before working as an Executive in the Industrial Property Development sector. Since then, Paul has worked with Engineers Ireland and the Royals College of Surgeons in areas of policy development, governance, internal consultancy, membership support and service, advocacy, representation, quality assurance and process excellence, accreditation, academic and professional education, training, strategy and business transformation.
Alison Irving
Executive, Main Contracting
Alison Irving joined the CIF as an administrator in 2008 and has been an Executive since 2013 and Secretary to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association since 2016. She provides assistance and guidance to members on issues relating to prequalification, tendering, contractual matters and disputes amongst other matters. She has a Bachelor of Laws degree, a Masters’ degree in Criminal Justice and was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2014.
Helen Early
Administrator, Main Contracting
Helen Early joined the CIF in 2023. Helen provides support to the Executive CECA and MBCA Councils. Also responsible for providing support to Environment Social & Governance, Procurement Tendering & Contractual Matters, Water Services Operators Group and Liaison Sub-Committees.
Downloads
CIF MBCA Delivering Value through Private Partnership Report
10th March 2023 ()
MBCA_DES Capital Programme for Schools
10th March 2023 pdf (1.42 MB)
MBCA Guidance Document
10th March 2023 pdf ()
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