WATERWAYS IRELAND'S NEW HEADQUARTERS IN ENNISKILLEN

The contract for the new Waterways Ireland headquarters building in Enniskillen was signed on Friday 2nd March.

At the end of January a local company RET Estates Ltd was identified as the developer for the project following a procurement process project managed by Central Procurement Directorate of the Department of Finance and Personnel NI, on behalf of Waterways Ireland. The construction and development of the building will be co-funded by the sponsor Departments (the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in the North and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the South).

The state-of-the-art building, to be located on the Sligo Road, will be completed by the Autumn 2008.

The project complies with the Government's 'Achieving Excellence in Construction for Northern Ireland' initiative which promotes design quality and sustainability in construction whilst achieving best value for money.

The Central Procurement Directorate as project managers and advisors, look forward to working with Waterways Ireland in the delivery of this prestigious project.

Mr. John Martin, Chief Executive, Waterways Ireland spoke of the significance of the new headquarters building. He said "The new headquarters building for Waterways Ireland will be a landmark building for Enniskillen in a waterside location which will facilitate access to our offices for customers by boat, by car or on foot. It will also be a fantastic environment for the Waterways Ireland staff to work in. I would like to pay tribute to all those involved in the project to date, including the sponsor Departments, for their dedication and assistance with the project".

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Notes to Editors:

Waterways Ireland is the North/South implementation body responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of the inland navigable waterways, principally for recreational purposes.

Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) within the Department of Finance & Personnel - with its expertise in the field of procurement and construction - helps Departments to achieve real savings in procurement budgets which can free up resources to be used on service delivery and improving Northern Ireland's physical infrastructure

The 'Achieving Excellence in Construction' initiative was developed in GB to improve the performance of Government as a construction client. The Review of Public Procurement recommended that a Northern Ireland version of the 'Achieving Excellence in Construction' initiative be prepared. The Government Construction Clients Group (GCCG) undertook this task. 'Achieving Excellence for Northern Ireland' was launched in May 2002 to improve the performance of central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) as clients of the construction industry.

It put in place a strategy for sustained improvement in construction procurement performance and in the value for money achieved by government on construction projects, including those involving maintenance and refurbishment.

Key aspects include the use of partnering and the development of long-term relationships, the reduction of financial and decision-making approval chains, improved skills development and empowerment, the adoption of performance measurement indicators and the use of tools such as value and risk management and 'whole life' costing.

Further information from:
Mr Nigel Russell, Director of Technical Services, Waterways Ireland, 0044 28 66346253 or 0044 77 89757195, or
Ms. Aoife Morrissy, Marketing and Communications, Waterways Ireland, 00 353 71 9650787 or 00 353 87 9918412.

Date: 05.03.07
PR07004

Drawing of the new Waterways Ireland Headquarters Building in Enniskillen

At the signing of the contract for the new Waterways Ireland headquarters building in Enniskillen, from left: Patricia Tracey; John Tracey; John Martin, Chief Executive, Waterways Ireland; Donal McGloin; Richard Tracey Snr., RET Estates Ltd; Richard Tracey Jnr.; and Kevin Murnaghan, Murnaghan Fee.

From left: Nigel Russell, Director of Technical Services, Waterways Ireland; Roy Mitchell, Head of Project Procurement 1, CPD; John Martin, Chief Executive, Waterways Ireland; Derek Hart, Project Manager, CPD; and Richard Tracey Snr., RET Estates Ltd.