Carillion school projects
Deputy Fitzpatrick described the collapse of Carillion and the risk to school building projects, including Loreto College in Wexford, and urged intervention. The Tánaiste said affected schools needed certainty and that the contracts contained provisions to ensure completion despite liquidation.
Yes, Leas-Cheann Comhairle-----
Comment on this
Under the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, as the Tánaiste is aware, Carillion plc and Carillion Constructed Limited, CCL, in the UK were put into liquidation as a result of their massive financial collapse. The company was engaged in various school-building projects in Ireland as part of a public private partnership in conjunction with the Dutch Infrastructure Fund, DIF. Loreto College in Wexford was planned to open this week. However, this will not happen due to the collapse of Carillion. The principal subcontractor to CCL in Ireland is Sammon Contracting Ireland Ltd, to which G Morgan & Sons Ltd, Ballymakenny Road, Drogheda, County Louth, had been subcontracted to supply school furniture including desks, chairs, technology workbenches, presses, etc. Despite that Loreto College is 100% complete, the subcontractor has not yet been paid for the supply of goods and services to the school. This company has been dealing with primary schools, secondary schools and third level schools for the last 50 years.
Comment on this
I ask the Tánaiste not to give me the same answer the Minister for Education and Skills gave me last week. We have to intervene and help this company.
Comment on this
It is not a Second Stage speech. We all have colleagues. All are anxious. I will be very strict on time.
Comment on this
Schools that have been affected by the liquidation of this company, which is involved in a number of public private partnerships, need to get certainty as soon as possible. The public private contracts include detailed provisions that apply in the event of the liquidation of a consortium member to ensure the completion of the projects. We are waiting for a plan to see that through to provide certainty for those schools. The Department of Education and Skills is watching this closely.