Stephen McKenna

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Ireland's construction payment law under scrutiny

Legal expert calling for legislative reform

Ireland's Construction Contracts Act was supposed to ensure builders got paid on time. For a decade, contractors believed that if a client didn't respond to a payment claim within 21 days, the money was automatically owed. A High Court ruling in January 2026 determined that was never true.

Updated May 27

Notable Quotes

"My biggest fear is that during the next downturn this will inevitably force a raft of unnecessary insolvencies, setting the industry and the economy back decades, and lead to another flight of skills abroad."

from Ireland's construction payment law under scrutiny · Updated May 27

"It falls on the Oireachtas to plug this gap, and rapidly."

from Ireland's construction payment law under scrutiny · Updated May 27