Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It probably will have to be done. The Department has been neglectful in regard to such checks.

The constant drive always to get projects constructed as cheaply as possible is at the root of this problem. These schools will no longer be value for money in the light of the costs incurred in recent months for investigations and remedial works. None of that was considered when the cheapest possible tender was selected. These schools are ultimately going to prove very expensive as a result of the short-term view taken in opting for the cheapest tender when the priority should have been for the Minister to ensure that the schools were built to the proper standard. Schools offer value for money when they operate for 20 years without requiring additional work to counteract substandard work carried out under the contract. A low-cost tender does not necessarily indicate value for money. That is the problem.

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