Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 435: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the arrangements made for local employment provision in the building contracts in relation to four vocational education committee schools to be constructed in County Offaly; the monitoring which has been taken out to ensure that any provision is complied with; the number of local employees working on each site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16396/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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There are two post-primary schools currently under construction in County Offaly. These schools are being delivered under a Public Private Partnership Contract. There is no specific requirement under the PPP Contracts to employ local labour and, therefore, no issue arises regarding compliance. However, it is my understanding that the Contractor in question has made some commitments in this regard.

On a general note, in common with the rest of the Public Sector, capital works projects in schools are tendered under the standard Public Works Contracts as required by the Department of Finance and the Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC). These contracts do not include a provision concerning the employment of local labour. My Department has no power to vary the standard terms of the Public Works Contracts with regard to the employment of local labour or any other issue.