A High Court ruling on arbitration in construction payments disputes puts builders at increased risk of insolvency unless the Oireachtas changes the law, experts warn. A High Court ruling on arbitration in construction payments disputes puts builders at increased risk of insolvency unless the Oireachtas changes the law, experts warn. Lawyers say that the court’s ruling in a recent case dealing with the Construction Contracts Act, 2013, could allow clients to stall payments to builders. Judge Garrett Simons’ ruling in Tenderbids Ltd and Electrical Waste Management Ltd allows someone to ignore contractors’ or subcontractors’ pay claims if they disagree with them. The Oireachtas passed the Construction Contracts Act, 2013, to solve this problem, which in some cases threatened businesses’ solvency.

Source: The Irish Times February 10, 2026 15:02 UTC