Construction scandal company is STILL building two schools

THE company at the centre of the school building scandal is working on the construction of two school buildings, the Minister for Education has admitted.

A recent assessment on 42 schools built by Western Building Systems discovered that 23 of the buildings had structural issues.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Education Committee yesterday, Joe McHugh said WBS had been in the process of building two new schools – in Sandymount, Dublin and Greystones, Co. Wicklow – when the controversy emerged. The company is being allowed to continue the work ‘with extra oversight’.

‘Do we stop those projects or do we add more vigilance and oversight while those projects are ongoing? Obviously we have made the decision to go with the latter one which is that the project should continue and should finish,’ Minister McHugh said, adding that it was thought that the ‘negative would outweigh the positive’ if work stopped.

WBS said it has written to the Department of Education and the Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board in relation to these schools’ construction, and that it is its ‘full intention’ to keep building.

Minister McHugh was subjected to a number of questions during the committee discussion, and confirmed that a full inquiry will be launched into the construction of the schools. He also vowed that those responsible for the scandal will be held accountable.

‘What I’m determined to do is get to the bottom of this. I’m determined to find out who is culpable, where the responsibility lies,’ he said. WBS last night welcomed the announcement of an inquiry, but said it must be independent of all connected bodies.

The assessments were carried out after faults were found in the structure of Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan, Dublin. Of the 23 schools with issues, 19 required external protective decking to be placed around the building before reopening.