Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. I appreciate that there are difficulties in a number of schools in his constituency. I will begin by providing clarification on certification of compliance. Unlike the Deputy, I have never been involved in major works on building sites, although I did a bit of hod carrying in my day. I remember that there was a need for vigilance, oversight and responsibility on site.

I make it clear that responsibility for design, build and operate projects lies with the contractor and the design team, on which we rely entirely for certification of compliance. They are responsible at each stage. For example, when the inside cavity wall is finished, somebody has to look down to ensure there are enough wall ties in the right places. The onus is on the contractor and the design team to make sure that happens. As I said at yesterday's meeting of the joint committee, I know from speaking to people in the private sector that the new regulations which have been in place since 2014 are adding approximately 18%, on average, to the cost of buildings. There can be delays in getting in fire safety officers. It is right that design teams are very pernickety to ensure every stage is completed properly. It is important to point out that although four schools which have been built since the introduction of the 2014 regulations have shown signs of potential structural issues, there has been a move towards a more regulatory environment. I remind the House that the clerk of works has been on site since 2017, which provides an added layer of oversight.

The Deputy asked about certification of compliance. Once again, the onus is on the contractor and the design team. There has been a debate about certification of completion because it is a grey area. Certificates of completion are signed off on by representatives of the Department. They are signed on the understanding all other works have been completed. If one goes to Ardgillan and Tyrrelstown, one will see nice and lovely new schools that have been freshly painted, but one does not know what is inside the walls. An unacceptable lack of standards and workmanship has brought about the situation in which we find ourselves.

I would like to separate a few of the schools. Ardgillan community college is an outlier. The Deputy asked whether there were visible signs of some of the defects. Issues were noted when Ardgillan community college was opened up. There was an insufficient number of wall ties in the right places. The inside timber relief was not joined to the steel structure or properly embedded on top of the concrete. Such standards are completely unacceptable. That is why the phase 1 building from 2009 has been closed. It is closed today. The school also has a phase 2 building. There has been disruption. Over 200 students have been relocated off-campus.

The schools in Tyrrelstown and Lucan also have internal issues. Engineering solutions have been agreed to to make the internal walls safe. Junior students in Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada in Lucan were able to go to school on Monday. In the schools in Tyrrelstown there were a few jagged edges with the new supporting and strengthening timber infrastructure. The principals, staff and boards of management have rightly worked with the team. I acknowledge the Tyrrelstown team for also doing that.

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