Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) today published the latest edition of the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin. 

The primary measure of the value of construction output in (the Index of Construction) is obtained from the Northern Ireland Quarterly Construction Enquiry (QCE).  This is a statutory survey of construction firms operating in .  Each quarter a sample of construction firms is asked to provide details of the value of construction activity they have undertaken in a specified period.  The Index uses 2000 as the base year i.e. (2000=100).

This Bulletin provides a measure of the value of construction output in for the period 1 January to 31 March 2007.   

The key finding from the QCE for the period 1 January to 31 March 2007 is that the Index of Construction is down 2.1 points on the previous quarter.

The detailed changes during the three months ending 31 March 2007 are as follows:

 ·    The seasonally adjusted Index of Construction was 100.6, down 2.1 points on the previous quarter (102.7) and up 2.2 points on the corresponding quarter in 2006 (98.4)

 ·      The estimated seasonally adjusted value of construction output (at 2000 prices) was £558 million, a decrease of 1.9% (£11 million) on the previous quarter (£569 million) and an increase of 2.4% on the corresponding quarter in 2006 (£545 million)  

An electronic copy of the Bulletin is available on the web at

 http://www.csu.nisra.gov.uk/niconsq12007.pdf

 The planned publication dates of the next four quarterly Bulletins are as follows:

 Construction Bulletin   Date of release

 2007 – Quarter 2        8 November 2007

 2007 – Quarter 3        7 February 2008

 2007 – Quarter 4        8 May 2008 
 
 2008 – Quarter 1   7 August 2008

Further information about the content of the bulletin is available from:

     Central Survey Unit
     Statistics and Research Agency
     McAuley House
     2-14 Castle Street
     BELFAST
     BT1 1SY

 Contact name:     Ms Amanda Filmer
 Telephone:        (028) 9034 8252
 Fax:              (028) 9034 8276
 E-mail:           Amanda.Filmer@dfpni.gov.uk
 Web:              http://www.csu.nisra.gov.uk