“Clarity must be provided to Laois/Offaly schools on Covid related construction costs,” Carol Nolan

Independent TD for Laois/Offaly Carol Nolan has said that she has engaged directly with the Department of Education and the office of the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, in order to seek clarity around any possible delays to the construction of school buildings within the constituency.

Deputy Nolan was speaking after the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) warned that it has repeatedly raised the issue of how additional Brexit and Covid related costs may lead to contract complication and delays in the building of dozens of school projects in the state:

“There are several schools within the Laois/Offaly constituency that have been trying for many years now to get their own urgently needed building works approved and completed.

Indeed, I am aware through representations that I have made that some of them will already have been approved for funding under the Additional Accommodation Scheme operated by the Department of Education.

What I, and these schools will now be seeking is immediate clarity on whether or not they are going to be directly impacted by any additional costs that have emerged within the construction industry.

This is particularly relevant to any contracts or tender bids that schools may have signed or entered in to pre-Covid.

As I understand it the Department has accepted that schools are now attempting to finalise contracts in “challenging market conditions”.

That is why it is so important that our schools are provided with all the clarity and assistance they need to bring their projects over the line,” concluded Deputy Nolan.