Need to check the track record of building contractors, says Howlin

THE need to look at building quality, the track record of building companies and the way they treat and treated subcontractors when awarding public contracts was raised with the Taoiseach by the Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin.

‘It is extremely worrying that this involves major contracts and that up to 40 schools could be affected and we do not know whether the same designs and construction techniques were used in other public works,’ he said. ‘We must reflect on how public works and public building contracts are awarded.

‘After such issues are exposed, people often approach Members to say that the companies involved had a bad reputation. If asked, the contracting authorities would state that they cannot exclude such companies from tendering.’

In reply, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the bar for excluding companies from tendering for such things as shoddy building in the past or failing to pay subcontractors under EU public procurement directives is actually very high and requires a burden of proof rather than a degree of suspicion. ‘That is the law as it stands under an EU public procurement directive but perhaps it needs to be changed,’ he said.

‘Another thing we should bear in mind is the issue of rapid- build. I often hear people call for rapid build housing and I certainly do not rule it out as part of the solution but Ardgillan in Balbriggan was a rapid-build school. It was built in 24 or 25 weeks. We need to bear that in mind. Things that are done quickly are not always done well.’