The ACEI continued to push the political system in June to improve the environment for consulting engineers.
Overview:
Accelerating Infrastructure
- The Secretariat submitted a report on delays and issues on the ground to Sean O’Driscoll and Imelda Mannion of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce including key topics of concern around NCCs and median-priced tendering.
- The ACEI, through the CIC, submitted information relating to delays on the ground when dealing with contracting authorities to the Dept of Public Expenditure.
- DG, Shane Dempsey met with Assistant Secretary, Jasmina Behan to outline delays and challenges around contractual and procurement practices (listed above).
- The ACEI attended the Construction Sector Group (led by the Department of Public Expenditure and involving all Government Departments engaged in capital investment. When there, the ACEI made the case for proportionate liability and the need for better contractual conditions for those engaged in HFA projects.
- DG Shane Dempsey will participate in the Department’s ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Productivity’ working group (7th July).
- ACEI Secretariat attended the DPER Infrastructure Conference on 8th July to hear from Minister Chambers on the work being done at department level to allocate risk more fairly and increase the risk appetite for project delivery.
DOEY Clearing House
- Following feedback from members, ongoing negotiations with the DoEY relating to late payments and legacy projects remain productive with weekly meetings now occurring between the Department and the ACEI.
- This has been a particularly important issue for many of our SME firms where the payment structure of DoEY has a more significant impact.
- In this light, there was a webinar on 30th June with DoEY on its plans for changes to ways of working and we’ll be sending round key highlights to member firms in the coming weeks.
- The ACEI is seeking to establish similar clearing houses with the OPW
Contractual issues – NCCs / HFA collateral warranties
- The ACEI has written to the Law Society to address issues where legal firms are advising their clients to disregard ACEI’s Conditions of Engagement documents.
- The ACEI has also submitted a query to the Construction Sector Capacity and Procurement Unit in relation to the use of unfair contractual terms by the HFA.
- The ACEI has also requested a follow up meeting with the Department of Housing and Minister for Housing on the HFA’s unfair contractual terms. This follows a meeting in Leinster House in January this year.
- The ACEI and other professional bodies will soon be launching a joint communique on the need for NCCs in public sector contracts.
Queries
- The ACEI addressed procurement issues on behalf of members with the National Transport Authority, TII, HFA and LDA in the past month.
Upcoming meetings:
- The ACEI will meet with the Department of Transport on July 16th following a request by Minister Darragh O’ Brien.
- DG Shane Dempsey will attend a forum in the Department of An Taoiseach’s ‘Industry Capability Working Group’.
If you need support or guidance on any issue affecting your firm, please contact DG, Shane Dempsey or Senior Policy Advisor, Dónal O’Neill. We’re here to help.
Welcome to the latest public affairs digest from the ACEI (covering April 2026).
The ACEI Secretariat was again busy this month on the stakeholder engagement front meeting with;
- 2 Contracting Authorities
- 1 Departmental Meeting
- 1 TD
- 1 Meeting of CIC Group
Beale & Co welcomes Jeremy Curran as Construction Partner in Dublin.
Beale & Co is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeremy Curran as a Partner in the Firm’s Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure team in Dublin.
Jeremy joins from global law firm DLA Piper and brings over 20 years’ experience advising on construction matters across the residential, commercial, industrials, life sciences, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
He becomes part of the Firm’s leading Contracts and Projects Advisory team, where he will advise clients on all front-end project matters, including contract reviews and tender checks; contract formation and project procurement; tender procedures and competitions; negotiation and conclusion of contract documents; joint venturing and contractual entitlement; project variations; and dispute avoidance.
Originally qualified as a civil engineer, Jeremy has lived and worked in Australia, the Far East, the Middle East and Europe. He is admitted to practice in Ireland, England & Wales, and New South Wales (Australia).
Jeremy’s client base has included contractors, consultants, developers, investors, funders, non-bank lenders and end-users across multiple jurisdictions. In addition to his time in private practice, Jeremy has spent nine years as in-house counsel for a Dubai-based multinational, advising on both contentious and non-contentious construction matters.
Commenting on the appointment, Killian Dorney, Construction Partner and Head of the Firm’s Dublin office, said:
“We are very pleased to welcome Jeremy to the Partnership. His significant industry experience will be a huge benefit to our clients, the Dublin office and our wider Contracts and Projects Advisory team. With Jeremy’s support, we look forward to strengthening our position as a leading construction practice in Ireland and internationally.”
Jeremy added:
“I am excited to be joining Beale & Co and continuing my career at such an esteemed specialist firm. I look forward to working with colleagues across the Firm and contributing to its longstanding reputation in the construction, engineering and infrastructure sector.
Jeremy’s arrival further enhances Beale & Co’s position as a leading specialist firm for complex construction and infrastructure matters in the UK, Ireland, the UAE, Canada and globally.
To learn more about Jeremy, click here.
2026 ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards
Above: President Tim Murnane addresses attendees at Friday night’s award ceremony in Dublin
On Friday 27 March, we crowned new winners of the ACEI 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards.
In a packed-out Intercontinental Hotel, President Tim Murnane presented awards to each of the category winners as well as two special awards to Michael Moriarty, for a lifetime contribution to the sector, and Seán O’ Driscoll, for his recent work in the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce.
Over 400 people gathered to celebrate the achievements of our industry ahead of a period where consulting engineers will lead the way on infrastructure delivery in Ireland.
Congratulations to all our winners and to the fantastic projects which were shortlisted alongside them. ACEI would like to sincerely thank Richard Crowe and his supporting judges Anne Marie Conibear and John Purcell for all their thorough review of the project nominations to arrive at a shortlist and decide on the award winners.
Your 2026 ACEI Engineering Excellence Award Winning Projects are:
2026 Project of the Year: UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning (CFL) at University College Dublin submitted by Arup
Civil (Small): George’s Dock Luas Bridge Replacement by Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers
Civil (Medium): Marina Park and Promenade by O’Connor Sutton Cronin
Civil (Large): Project Roadrunner (Dexcom – Athenry), by Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates
Structural (Small): 180–187 Townsend Street, Dublin 2 with structural design by DBFL Consulting Engineers
Structural (Medium): Beamish and Crawford Bridges, Cork, with structural design by Arup
Structural (Large): The Treasury Building, Lower Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2 with structural design by CORA Consulting Engineers
M&E (Small): Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown Centralised Standby Power Supply Control System Project submitted by Varming Consulting Engineers
M&E (Medium): National High-Level Isolation Unit (NHLIU) Project at the Mater Hospital Dublin (MMUH) submitted by J V Tierney Consulting Engineers
M&E (Large): UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning (CFL) at University College Dublin submitted by Arup
Sustainability Built Environment (Small): 180 – 187 Townsend Street for the Peter McVerry Trust by DBFL Consulting Engineers
Sustainability Built Environment (Medium): Student Services Building, at the University of Limerick, by Don O’Malley and Partners Limited
Sustainability Built Environment (Large): The Treasury Building by CORA Consulting Engineers
Sustainability Natural Environment: Marina Park Promenade by O’Connor Sutton Cronin
Project Management (Small/Medium): Dublin Airport Authority Solar Farm by Nicholas O’Dwyer Ltd.
Project Management (Large): Killaloe Bypass, Brian Boru Bridge & R494 Improvement Scheme for Clare County Council by RPS Consulting Engineers
SME Category: The Shackleton Museum, Athy, Co. Kildare with structural, civil and fire engineering design by McCrae Consulting Engineers
Innovation (Small/Medium): Dublin Tunnel Tolling System Replacement Project by Arup
Innovation (Large): College Square by Waterman Moylan
Overseas: The Eades in Walthamstow, London, by Barrett Mahony Consulting Engineers
Welcome to the latest public affairs digest from the ACEI (covering March 2026).
We’ve been busy again with 6 political engagements including;
- 1 Minister
- 2 TDs
- 2 Special Advisors and
- 1 Contracting Authority
Celebrating the Future of Engineering Excellence
We’re thrilled to announce the four incredible finalists for this year’s ACEI Future Leaders’ Competition! These incredible young professionals, judged on innovation, leadership and excellence, are set to shape the future of our industry as Ireland seeks to deliver on its infrastructural promise.
🏆 Meet the Finalists:
Niall O’Brien of Egis
Aisling Hahessy of Arup
Andries (Andy) Kotze of Donnachadh O’Brien & Associates and
Mumo M Bonaya of Mott MacDonald
A huge congratulations to our four finalists! 👏👏
The winner will be revealed on March 27th at the ACEI Annual Awards 2026 – celebrating the very best in consulting engineering.
📅 Date: March 27, 2026
📍 Location: Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM