Construction disputes are often talked about as exceptional events, but in reality they are a structural feature of how projects are still delivered across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Most projects begin with estimates: estimated quantities, estimated deliveries, estimated waste volumes, estimated programme impacts. That is unavoidable at tender stage. What is far less consistent is how actuals are captured once work starts on site.

That gap between estimate and actual is where disputes are born.

On March 1st, 2024, Ireland introduced the National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at reducing waste, increasing recycling, and embedding sustainability into national and local government operations. The plan, which spans 2024 to 2030, not only sets new standards for the private sector but also imposes critical responsibilities on government organisations, semi-state bodies, and local authorities to lead by example.