NOW THAT men have made such a mess of the construction industry maybe it’s time to pass the shovel to the women. Surprise, surprise, they are out there, and this week over 100 of them showed up for the launch of the Irish branch of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Its purpose is to “offer women in construction opportunities to access information and develop relationships within the industry, through a series of networking events”. Come to think of it, there are few enough women in high profile positions in most of the big property and construction firms in Ireland – we struggle to come up with even a handful of names.

There are any number of women advisors in estate agencies, as well as big names in architecture, engineering and banking. The first chairperson of NAWIC is Susan Bryson, not a brickie as one might imagine, but a partner in solicitors Mason Hayes + Curran. Despite all the gloom in the sector, the construction business this year is expected to be worth €17bn – even before the Government rolls out its amended National Development Plan.

NAWIC was founded in the US 50 years ago, and now has over 6,000 members. Let’s wish it all the best in Ireland, though it was a little odd to note that their guest speaker at the launch the other evening was .... a man! Albeit one specialising in arbitration and conciliation. Dr Nael Bunni of TCD has a vast experience of international dispute resolution in the construction industry.