David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the progress of the construction of the new school of music for Cork; the reason for the delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6377/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decided last July that my Department should finalise contractual negotiations with Jarvis Projects Limited with the view to commencing construction of the Cork School of Music as soon as practical. Shortly thereafter Jarvis Plc, preferred bidder for the project, announced a profit warning on the London Stock Exchange. To help solve its financial difficulties the company commenced selling off non-core elements of the company. One of the areas to be disposed of was the public private partnership-PFI bidding business and on 3 December 2004 Jarvis announced that it had reached an agreement with Hochtief Developments (UK) Ltd.

Following the announcement, various issues surrounding the purchase were being completed and a revised proposal and documentation in connection with the Cork School of Music public private partnership project were received on 19 January 2005. As Hochtief has replaced Jarvis as a member of the bidding consortium it must satisfy the Department that had it applied under the terms of the original public private partnership advertised in 2000 it would have been one of the consortia that pre-qualified for the project.

The new documentation is being examined by my Department's specialist advisers to the project who are also undertaking full financial and legal due diligence to ensure that the proposal meets all EU procurement guidelines. It is expected that this examination will be completed and a report submitted to my Department's public private partnership unit for consideration shortly.

Subject to all of the necessary financial and legal issues being in order it will then be possible to commence formal negotiations with Hochtief Developments to complete the contract details to allow financial and commercial close for the project take place.