Looking after your mates ..Look at this SCAM ....The Government will pay up to 70 per cent of builders’ inflation-related construction costs in an open-ended scheme set to cost millions of euros per month.
Cabinet on Tuesday approved plans for the scheme, brought to Government by Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath.
The minister said the scheme was needed to mitigate the risk of “significant losses” and to protect projects already in construction.
Speaking to reporters after Cabinet, Mr McGrath said the scheme would not be a “free for all”, adding that it was introduced amid concerns that vital public works schemes could flounder due to builders’ profit margins being eroded, making them unsustainable.
He said contractors have already expressed concerns about the current model for major public projects and the contract underpinning it.
While he said it was difficult to put a cost on the scheme, it was estimated the bill for the first three months of the year would be €30-€40 million.
It was not being time-bound as there was too much uncertainty around currently, he said.
He said the immediate impetus for the scheme was the cost pressures in the construction supply chain caused by the war in Ukraine, which is leading to “real difficulties” especially for those longer lead-in time projects which tendered and agreed prices before the current pressures emerged.
Costs will be contained within expenditure ceilings in the National Development Plan (NDP).
The “cooperation framework” will allow parties to engage on an ex gratia basis to address the cost impact of inflation, he said.
Costs will be made with reference to CSO figures, and must be related to inflation — although retrospective claims for payments made from January 1st can be made. He said there was a need to ensure the State’s ability to deliver the NDP.
Elsewhere, the Cabinet gave approval to run the nine per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector to the end of February — a six-month extension — at a cost of €250 million per year.
HOW MUCH MORE COIN ARE BAM GOING TO CHARGE FOR THE NEW CHILDRENS HOSPITAL .There must be an election coming soon taking care of your mates before you lose your job .VAT on Hospitality reduced even taxi drivers are getting a few coppers extra .God bless FF they are back to their best giving away money to their mates .