In a recent development, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has announced a significant amendment to the Defective Concrete Products Levy, which has garnered much attention since its introduction as part of Budget 2023. This amendment is set to have a positive impact on the precast concrete industry, and O’Reilly Concrete is pleased to share this important news with our customers.

 

Background

 

The Defective Concrete Products Levy was initially introduced in October 2022, as part of a broader initiative to fund the Mica Redress Scheme. It marked a historic move to secure contributions from the construction sector toward rectifying issues related to defective concrete products. The levy came into effect on September 1st, 2023, raising questions and concerns within the industry.

 

Initially, a range of precast concrete products were included in the levy’s scope. However, following careful consideration and consultations with industry experts, Minister McGrath has taken proactive steps to address these concerns and maintain a balanced approach.

 

Exclusion of Precast Concrete Pouring

 

In a welcome move for the precast concrete industry, Minister McGrath has confirmed that pouring concrete used for precast products will be excluded from the Defective Concrete Products Levy. This exclusion aligns with industry feedback and recognises the potential negative impact the levy could have had on the export of precast products and competition within the jurisdiction.

 

The amendment to the levy will officially take effect on January 1st, 2024. In the meantime, a refund scheme will be in place for the interim period until the end of 2023. This change means that concrete blocks and pouring concrete for uses other than in precast products will remain within the scope of the levy.

 

Minister McGrath expressed his belief that this amendment strikes a balance between funding the Mica Redress Scheme and minimizing the impact on inflation in the construction sector. The Department of Finance, in collaboration with Revenue, will closely monitor the introduction and operation of the levy and will continue to engage with industry stakeholders to address any issues that may arise.

 

Important Dates

 

The first filing date for returns related to the Defective Concrete Products Levy is January 23rd, 2024. This date should be noted by all relevant parties to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

 

Conclusion

 

O’Reilly Concrete welcomes the decision to exclude pouring concrete used for precast products from the Defective Concrete Products Levy. This amendment demonstrates the government’s willingness to listen to industry concerns and take necessary action to ensure the continued growth and success of the precast concrete sector.

 

We are committed to keeping our customers and partners informed about important developments in our industry. If you have any questions or require further information about how this amendment affects your business, please do not hesitate to contact us. Together, we can navigate these changes and build a stronger, more sustainable future for the construction sector in Ireland.

 

For further reading see – https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/2023/09/06/minister-agrees-to-limit-scope-of-defective-concrete-products-levy/

Explore Cutting-Edge Precast Concrete Technology with O’Reilly Precast at Offsite Expo 2023

Join the team from O’Reilly Precast, industry leaders in precast concrete, at the OFFSITE EXPO 2023 in Coventry, 19-20 September. As an Offsite Awards finalist for ‘Best Use of Concrete Technology’, we’re looking forward to sharing our innovative solutions with you.

Stand E9: Innovation in Architectural Wall Panels

Explore our revolutionary architectural wall panels firsthand at Stand E9. Our team will be present to delve into the features of our products and answer any queries.

Register Now for Free Access!

Celebrate groundbreaking innovation at the Offsite Construction Awards as part of OFFSITE EXPO 2023. Secure your free ticket now and don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity. We eagerly await your visit at Stand E9!

Benefits of Visiting OFFSITE EXPO 2023

OFFSITE EXPO is a comprehensive showcase for the construction industry.
Highlights include:
* 1:1 interactions with over 100 offsite manufacturers and suppliers.
* Live demos of diverse offsite solutions.
* Networking with 4,000+ industry professionals.
* Informative CPD Masterclasses by industry experts.
* Access to the Offsite Connect Buyers & Specifiers Forum.

Building a Sustainable Future Report CoverWe’re proud to unveil the O’Reilly Group’s comprehensive roadmap to Net Zero by 2050!

Read our plan below ↓

This plan is our steadfast commitment to advancing sustainability within our operations and contributing to a greener planet.

  • Afforestation: We’ve planted 15,000 trees at our Oakstown plant, setting a clear path towards creating a sustainable environment, with plans to expand afforestation to other facilities.
  • Sustainable Concrete: We’re implementing processes like carbon capture and the use of recycled water to make our concrete production even more environmentally friendly.
  • Offsite Manufacturing: Our innovative Architectural Wall Panels not only expedite the building process but also reduce on-site waste, making construction more sustainable.
  • Tech-Driven Efficiency: We’re leveraging technology like BIM and advanced software to optimise operations, reduce waste, and provide high-quality, sustainable products to our customers.
  • Renewable Energy: We’re shifting towards generating 100% of our electricity from renewable sources, kicking off with solar panel installation across all production buildings.
  • We’re proud to be taking significant strides towards achieving Net Zero by 2050.

To read more about our commitments and plans, check out the full sustainability plan below, or if you would like a high-res copy to print or share please contact us here. 

Together, we are building a sustainable future!

 

 

O’Reilly Group attended the Offsite Expo in London May 2023!

 

The Offsite Show is the UK’s most innovative shows. It took place at London’s ExCeL on 2-4 May 2023.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to connect & chat to many companies and colleagues in the construction industry about our projects and capabilities.

The event, in partnership with Buildoffsite, welcomed over 4,000 high quality visitors with a vested interest in using offsite solutions and techniques for future business strategies, as well as associated products and services. Co-located with UK Construction Week, and Grand Designs Live.

Over 70 top leading companies showcased for offsite and pre-manufactured solutions for the built environment.

Attending & exhibiting were developers, major contractors, builders, consultants, architects, housing associations, local authorities, specifiers, infrastructure projects, civil and structural engineering firms and architectural firms.

Thank you to everyone who has already visited our stand, and we look forward to staying in touch.

We will also be attending the following Expos this year:

We are featured in Building Ireland’s article titled “Leaders in Construction for over 80 years”.

Established in 1939, O’Reilly Concrete, part of the O’Reilly Group, are one of the largest Precast companies in Ireland and the UK who design, manufacturer and install precast concrete buildings, including Residential, Commercial and Educational projects for a wide variety of Clients.

The O’Reilly Group’s head office is in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, while it has 10 production facilities located across counties Monaghan, Cavan, Meath and Westmeath as well as in Cardiff, which opened in October 2019 to cater for its growing UK business.

Leading the way in Construction

Employing 560 people directly and indirectly, the Group is made up of four companies – O’Reilly Concrete Ltd, Barleystone Paving Ltd, O’Reilly Oakstown Ltd and O’Reilly Precast (UK). The Group’s main customers are in the construction sector with its concrete, blocks, paving and precast concrete products being utilised in a wide range of construction activities, ranging from small & large residential and office block projects through to Schools, Hotels, and a variety of commercial projects.

O’Reilly Concrete are unique in the industry as they complete all Design & Detailing work ‘In House’ through their experienced and extensive design & detailing office.

The company’s ‘Modern Method of Construction’ (MMC) has proved innovative and timesaving, while always maintaining high standards in quality. O’Reilly Concrete’s unrivalled track record in its ‘design and build’ projects, along with its complete range of precast concrete solutions, have seen it become one of the market leaders in Ireland and UK.

O’Reilly Concrete’s core products have historically been ready-mix concrete, quarry products, concrete blocks and Agri precast products. It also manufactures its own range of bespoke products which include hollowcore flooring (both Thermal Flooring & Traditional flooring), wide slab floors, precast walls, precast insulated wall panels, prestressed wall panels, precast Column & Beams, precast stairs and the latest addition to the portfolio includes Architectural Insulated wall panels.

In April 2021, O’Reilly Concrete opened its new AWP (Architectural Wall Panel) manufacturing facility in Taghart, Shercock, Co. Cavan. The facility is manufacturing bespoke architectural wall panels, designed by O’Reilly’s in-house team, that includes brick-faced precast panels, coloured rendered finished panels, along with other bespoke finishes.

The construction phase on-site can be reduced by up to 50% with a very small crew compared to traditional build methods. The walls are flexible in design with windows, doors and internal electrical conduits and sockets now being installed at the Factory prior to delivery on site, thus further accelerating the Construction programme for their clients.

“We’re leading designers and manufacturers of precast frame building solutions,” says O’Reilly Group CEO Emmet Cosgrove.

“We operate our own quarries so are self-sufficient when it comes to raw materials. We provide the full design, manufacture, installation, and certification package for our clients. Our business continues to go from strength to strength as the industry, post-Covid, turns towards off-site construction, with more and more developers, architects and engineers realising the real time, cost and CO2 savings that are to be had with our system. The inclusion of our Architectural Wall division to the O’Reilly Group will ensure we continue to provide for what our Clients and the Market requires”.

“Everything is built in and ready for fitting. There are big savings on labour costs and it’s also a more sustainable way of doing things due to less waste due to Factory controlled production and less lorry movement of products and trucks to and from site compared to traditional build methods.”

O’Reilly Concrete partners with main contractors such as BAM, JJ Rhatigans, ABM, Townmore Construction, Sisk, Elliot Construction, Galiford Try, OHMG, Glasgiven, Stewart Construction, Ganson, Vision Construction and Monami on residential, educational, commercial, hospitality, environmental, healthcare and agricultural projects throughout Ireland and the UK. The Irish market accounts for 75% of its business, with the UK market accounting for the rest.

“We have several projects ongoing in the UK presently including a large residential block in Worcester for our long-standing client, Elliotts. We have also just finished in the last few weeks another large residential development in Purley, London for LBC,” Emmet explains

The O’Reilly Group has come a long way since it was formed over 80 years ago as a small sand and gravel family business. Still owned by the O’Reilly family, the Group has retained its core values and commitment to delivering quality, reliability and customer satisfaction to each and every project. The Group is also committed to the highest standards of Health & Safety and even has its own in-house training centre which facilitates and assists in the training and continuous learning of all its employees.

In addition, the Group is proactively looking for new ways to improve its environmental footprint, by reducing CO2 emissions in its concrete with the inclusion of a low carbon filler replacing cement to planting over 15,000 trees at one of its facilities. The Group is currently working on its ‘Environmental Sustainability Roadmap’, which it hopes to publish in Q1 2023.

Offering ‘The Perfect Finish’, Barleystone Paving is the paving arm of the O’Reilly Group. This company’s core products are paving brick, masonry brick, flagstones and decorative stones. O’Reilly Oakstown Environmental is another division of the Group and provides a wide range of environmental solutions both Domestic & Commercial, including wastewater treatment systems, septic tanks, precast retaining wall, Petrol Interceptors and rainwater harvesting systems for homes, schools, hotels, businesses, and Agriculture. Over the years, O’Reilly Oakstown has grown to provide full bespoke design and installation services.

Emmet Cosgrove joined the O’Reilly Group as Operations Director in 2015 before being appointed CEO in early 2020. “We’ve continued to grow over the last two-three years, despite the challenges posed by Covid, Brexit, hyperinflation, soaring energy costs and the more recent war in Ukraine,” he points out. “Despite these challenges, we continue to invest in our facilities and in our people to ensure the O’Reilly Group continues to develop and grow into the future”.

Emmet would like to take this opportunity to thank the O’Reilly Group’s clients, customers, partners and suppliers for their continued support as well as its expert teams in every division for their hard work, dedication and commitment that they have shown over the last two-three years in particular.

If you would like to discuss a project contact us at sales@oreillyconcrete.com, we would be delighted to have a chat.

This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, February 2023, Vol 9 No 2

Academy of Music

This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Royal Irish Academy of Music – RIAM. To commemorate this milestone, RIAM has recently undergone a €25 million redesign that has transformed it into a modern campus.

O’Reilly Concrete Ltd are proud to have been part of this ambitious project along with the main project contractor Purcell Construction. The reimagined RIAM now provides students with first-class facilities and enhanced access to musical training and education. Let’s take a look at what this new campus has to offer.

Facilities of the Newly Refurbished RIAM

The newly refurbished RIAM offers

  • Double the number of teaching rooms
  • A 300-seat concert hall
  • 5 acoustically treated faculty zones
  • An opera studio
  • A sonic arts hub

Additionally, there is also a music therapy facility for those who wish to use music as a form of healing. With these state-of-the-art facilities, students will have increased access to higher standards for musical training and education.

RIAM Library Photo by Philip Shields

RIAM Library Photo by Philip Shields

Increased Capacity for Education and Performance

The newly refurbished RIAM not only boasts improved infrastructure to support musical education and performance but also increased capacity for up to 3500 students to receive training and education at the academy each year. This means that more students than ever before will be able to pursue their dreams in music with better resources available for their use.

RIAM Floor Plan

RIAM Academy Gets a Tune-Up with O’Reilly Concrete’s Help

O’Reilly Concrete’s hollowcore floors, precast walls, stairs and columns were instrumental (pardon the pun!) in the construction of a 6-storey extension onto the existing building covering over 4,394sqm.

New Lecture Hall RIAM

New Lecture Hall RIAM

We are proud to have collaborated with the esteemed Royal Irish Academy of Music. The O’Reilly Group was honoured to help provide RIAM with a cutting-edge campus, giving students access to top-notch facilities and an exceptional education. This investment in Ireland’s musical culture ensures its longevity.

 

RIAM Music Director Deborah Kelleher Photo by Barry Cronin

RIAM Music Director Deborah Kelleher. Photo by Barry Cronin

Get in Touch

If you’re interested in discovering more about our work in Ireland and the UK, we invite you to explore the projects section or pop us an email on sales@oreillyconcrete.com – it’s definitely worth pouring over!

 

On Friday 5th August we organised an ice cream van to visit all our precast production plants and offices in Ireland. This is just a small token of appreciation we wanted to give our staff to thank them for all their hard work.
It was great to see all the smiling faces and we are glad they enjoyed it!

New O’Reilly Group Van Fleet

This year, the O’Reilly Group have upgraded our van fleet to nine new 2022 vans all provided by Western Motors Drogheda.

The new O’Reilly Group Van Fleet are driven by sales representatives and project managers across the Group who are needed for site visits on a regular basis.

Lower carbon emissions

The new O’Reilly Group van fleet allows us to keep our carbon emissions significantly lower as the new 2022 engines, featuring AdBlue, has substantially dropped the level of nitrogen oxide which are released into the atmosphere. At the O’Reilly Group, we are determined in reducing our CO2 emissions and ensuring our vehicles and machinery are kinder to the environment.


Supporting Wind Energy Development in Ireland

O'Reilly Group Van Fleet with Windfarms in Background

Also featured in the background, are just 5 of the Windfarms which we have provided our Ready-Mix Concrete and stone to including:

  • Bindoo Windfarm
  • Mountain Lodge Windfarm
  • Gartnaneane Windfarm
  • Teervurcher Windfarm
  • Raragh Windfarm.

We are also involved in the development of Taghart Windfarm which is currently under construction.

We are delighted to have been part of these projects as wind energy is a vital and clean source of energy, which again, is significantly better for our environment.

Contact our team here with enquiries regarding your project.

Build Award Trophy 2022

Winners of BUILD Award 2022

‘Most Outstanding Designer & Manufacturer of Innovative Precast Concrete Products’

O’Reilly Concrete are both delighted and proud to be winners of BUILD Award 2022. Our team work tirelessly to ensure our products are innovative and of the highest quality.

We are very happy to be adding this to our awards cabinet. Well done to all involved!

Watch our impacting video highlighting our commitment to Health & Safety