Maeve Kearns is the Construction Industry Federation’s Director of Corporate Affairs
The CIF is 90 years old this year. Founded in May 1935, the federation has acted as an industry led voice of construction from its earliest beginnings, supporting our members through the challenges of developing the vibrant, successful construction industry that we represent today.
The development of the federation’s Strategic Plan 2024 – 2027 was a key objective during 2024, and we were delighted to develop a member led, comprehensive strategy which sets out a roadmap for the next three years.
During 2025, the federation will focus on particular on improving our services and build on our links with our members.
While we are the voice of the industry, we can only fulfil our role by listening to the needs of our members. Through our countrywide network of associations, committees and branches, we ensure that we can draw upon the real-time experiences and challenges faced by the sector to ensure we provide the services required by members.
At the core of our mission lies our commitment to promptly address the needs of our members.
We are building our membership team to maintain ongoing engagement with our membership base. Feedback from membership will inform our work and allow us to refine and tailor our services to remain meaningful, relevant and responsive.
We are currently engaged in a project to develop our digitised services, improving how we communicate and exchange information.
Increased digitisation and the growing interconnectedness of people and organisations is already having a profound impact on how our member’s work.
Our new Head of Memberships, Catherine Jordan, is leading the team to deliver not just digitised services to members, but to increase engagement with members across the board.
We are increasing our investment in regional services, providing forum for discussion and opportunities for networking across the country.
A key objective of our Strategic Plan is to improve our services for SMEs, helping our members to recognise the opportunities breakthrough technologies can unlock for the benefit of our industry and emphasising the role of digital in scaling up SMEs, and advancing sustainability.
Initiatives like Smart Off-site Association, and the support for members from our ESG team on the journey to net zero, our recently introduced Carbon Calculator, are recent initiatives to meet the needs of our SME members, and we look forward to building on these initiatives in 2025.
The introduction of CIRI in 2025 will be a shop front for the industry and is an opportunity for members to register as committed, competent and regulated building providers.
CIF as CIRI Registration Body has been tasked by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with developing, implementing and maintaining the register.
CIRI registrants will be competent and capable to deliver on contracts, run their business in a professional manner, meet all necessary insurance, legal and other regulatory requirements and engage in continuing professional development to stay at the forefront of construction best practice.
The register will be recognised as the primary online resource used by consumers in the public and private procurement of building construction services.
CIF looks forward to working with our members to provide support completing registration for CIRI.
