Written answers

Thursday, 30 June 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Building Projects

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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179. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether her Department should reconsider its policy of grouping build projects under one single project management contract given the increasing difficulties within the building sector and regarding the management of new-build contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34955/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction. Most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period up to 2025.

There are currently in excess of 250 school building projects at construction (on site) with a continuous stream of other projects at or near the tendering stage.

It is anticipated that 150 to 200 school building projects will be completed annually during the 2022 to 2025 period.

Procurement by its nature can be detailed and complex and my Department is very conscious of the need to support the school system with good procurement guidance and arrangements to facilitate strong NDP rollout.

The Planning & Building Unit has a number of consultant and contractor Frameworks in place that are used for call-off tenders in the appointment of construction teams to deliver on our capital works programme. These frameworks enable projects to be procured on a single or grouped basis. The frameworks are updated and regularly reviewed with regard to capacity and fitness for purpose.

My Department’s construction related frameworks include:

- Design & Build Framework: A panel of Construction companies/Joint Ventures used to deliver schools under the Design and Build works Programme.

- Regional Contractors Framework: A panel of contractors used to undertake emergency works and other urgent works.

- Modular Accommodation Framework: A Framework that provides access to companies providing temporary and modular accommodation. This includes a timber modular framework that will provide additional capacity and also assist with delivering on Climate agenda.

In addition, one of our strategic partners the NDFA who deliver devolved school projects on our behalf also have in place Project Management, Design and Contractor Frameworks from which school building projects are tendered.

Furthermore, the Capital Works Programme and individual schemes such as the summer works, energy retrofit, maintenance and emergency works provide many procurement opportunities across the entire country for small, medium and large scale consultants and contractors to tender and work on school projects. Our summer and emergency works schemes in particular by their nature of smaller scale, facilitate procurement often at a local level.

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