Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have studied this case since the Deputy first spoke about it and have spoken to a number of people in the Department about it. Not since 2006 has a school under the design and build programme been left in this totally unacceptable position. This is in addition to the current impasse around Western Building Systems, WBS, which is currently before the Commercial Court. We are also carrying out an international review of design and build. Technological University Dublin will carry out that work. There is a history of bad builds.

This has been a horrible story for the entire community since 2006. I want to see progress and I know departmental officials are waiting for school authorities to come back to them with their observations on the next stage of planning for the car park. I want the work to be carried out with haste. I do not want a sticking plaster; I want a proper job done. My departmental officials are keen to see that happen, and that is only right given what the school community has had to endure.

This issue arose when I first became Minister for Education and Skills over a year ago. Unacceptable building practices leave a very sour taste in my mouth, not least for the communities which have had to endure them. Standards do not have to be a bar that people have to reach; rather, they should be an underlying fundamental aspect of any building works. On any private building sites where I have worked it has been important to comply with regulations, laws and standards and architects and design teams have responsibility for that. We cannot accept anything less. A lot of mistakes have been made and there has been a lot of malpractice. I want progress on this issue.

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