Who represents the fit-out sector in Ireland?
By Chris Wheal
June 18, 2024
Industry support under the spotlight.
Ireland’s fit-out sector is served by a number of specialist trade bodies. Some niche trades are within the wider Construction Industry Federation but there’s also The Interiors Association (IA), which sits outside.
The Interiors Association
The Interiors Association is a broad church. It covers those in household interior design as well as those who work on commercial projects. It describes itself as being “open to the broad spectrum of professionals working within the interior architecture and interior design community”.
It accredits members and has a code of ethics. It runs continual professional development (CPD) workshops to keep members up to date on changes in legislation and construction methods and holds product training days with corporate partners.
The IA works with faculty heads of Irish design colleges to shape course content. And it offers membership to students as well as those working in the interior architecture or interior design industry.
However, members must meet standards of education and experience to become accredited members.
Commercial firms
The IA website has a searchable directory. It lists several commercial specialists:
· Suzanne Fanning Interior Design: personalised interior design for residential, commercial and hospitality
· Nicola Pollard: interior design consultancy for both residential and commercial markets
· MD Designs: interiors for residential, hospitality, commercial and retail clients
· Vyvyan Byrne Interior Design: residential and commercial interior design service
· NRD Design Studio - Natasha Rocca Devine: a design studio specialising in interior architecture and commercial projects
· CO/LAB Design Studio: a full service from inception through to design, installation and project management
· NSpace: an interior design, project management and construction company
· Hestia: a design studio based in Dundalk, County Louth
· Jackie Tyrrell Design: interior architecture and interior design, Specialising in biophilic design
· Millimetre Design: multi-disciplinary design studio
Construction Industry Federation
As its name suggests, the Construction Industry Federation brings together a range of specialist trades under a wide umbrella.
The fit-out sector has several niche trades represented. One of the oldest and most influential is the Master Painters and Decorators of Ireland (MPDI), which was formed in 1899. It represents painters and decorators of all sizes, including the self-employed and larger contracting companies.
The MPDI was one of the earliest affiliated associations of the Construction Industry Federation and this has ensured the association a permanent place on the ruling body of the CIF.
The MPDI is also a member of the Europe-wide network of paint associations UNIEP – The International Association of Painting Contractors.
A federation within a federation
The MPDI is part of the Alliance of Specialist Contractors Association (ASCA), which sits within the CIF. Several other specialist fit-out members operate within this alliance. These include:
· Floor Covering and Tiling Contractors Association (FC&TCA)
· Plastering Contractors Association (PCA)
Some of these groups are much newer than the 1899-founded MPDI. The Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association (FCICA), for example, was formed in 1982. Its mission is to make commercial flooring contractors successful through expert education, sharing best practices and professional networking.
Electrical and mechanical
Another expert group within the CIF heavily involved in fit out is the Mechanical and Electrical Contractors’ Association (M&ECA). This is itself made up of two bodies:
· The Mechanical Engineering and Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA). This covers heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) works including design, installation, inspection, testing and maintenance.
· The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). This covers contractors in the commercial and industrial sectors carrying out electrical works including design, installation, repairs, commissioning and maintenance.
One of the more novel groups is The Register of Heritage Contractors. This is partly about preserving the old skills necessary to carry out heritage conservation. But it is also about having the nous to fit modern technology and practices sympathetically into older restorations.
Each member of the Register meets a set of predefined criteria, experience and expertise that enable them to carry out restoration projects. The Register is overseen by an independent board made up of senior figures from the construction industry, the professions, third level institutions and conservation bodies.
Outside the CIF
The Institute of Refrigeration Ireland (IRI) claims to be the professional membership body that represents refrigeration and air-conditioning professionals in Ireland. It is the Irish member of the European association of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump contractors (RACHP), which was established in 1989.
There are a lot of players. Finding accurate industry stats down to that level is difficult.
In the UK there is the Finishes and Interiors Sector. This was formed as FIS in 2015 from the merger of the Association of Interior Specialists (AIS) and the Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors (FPDC).
The FIS reports that the sector in the UK has an annual turnover of £10bn and a workforce of 250,000 people – it accounts for about 10% of all construction works.
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