Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason her Department has not paid in full companies who provide prefab classrooms to various schools across the country; if she will outline the difficulties regarding the lengthy period of time that companies have to wait before being paid and the embarrassment that this causes schools who require this form of emergency accommodation; the amount owed to each of the companies who provide this service to her Department; the average waiting time in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8859/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is the policy of my Department to ensure that payments due to companies in respect of services, including those referred to by the Deputy, are made as expeditiously as possible. The Deputy will appreciate however that queries may arise in specific cases that need to be resolved before payments can issue. However the Deputy can be assured that my Department will continue to issue payments due at the earliest possible date. As the relevant staff is focused on making payments which are due, it is not my intention to delay these payments by diverting resources to collate the specific data sought by the Deputy.