THE Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has criticised the emerging gap between planned and actual spending on public infrastructure this year.
It came as the Department of Finance reported a year-on-year decline in the Exchequer deficit.
Exchequer returns for January and February show a deficit of just under €1.95bn,
Tom Parlon (right), director general of the CIF, said capital spending was already over 11pc, or nearly €50m, behind target.
"The Public Capital Investment Programme has borne a disproportionate burden of Ireland's fiscal adjustment so the failure to meet the very slimmed-down targets for 2011 is very serious for employment in the industry," he said.