OVERCROWDED and dilapidated primary schools will lose €62m of the money they were supposed to get for building works this year.
Education Minister Mary Coughlan said that the money would not be speant due to delays caused by difficulties in the construction industry.
Very low tender prices quoted by some builders had been part of the problem, leading to delays in bringing projects to conclusion. The minister said in some cases the department had challenged quotes because they felt that builders would not be able to deliver the job at the price.
Another difficulty the department encountered was confirming the availability of a bond prior to a contract being awarded, as a result of uncertainty in the banking sector.
She said there were also increasing examples of contractors, sub-contractors and other professionals associated with school building projects going out of business while they were engaged on school projects.
Sinn Féin has called for unemployed construction workers to be taken on by a new state construction organisation, and put to work on Irelands much damaged infrastructure.
No comments:
Post a Comment