School continues to function
IT has emerged that work on the stalled €5.4 million refurbishment and redevelopment programme at Ard Scoil Ris, will not recommence until at least next February.
The project came to a halt on May 10 last-as first reported in the Limerick Post- when the gates of the redevelopment site were shut and padlocked, after Galway based Cordil Construction, went into receivership with the loss of 30 jobs onsite.
Seventy construction workers were employed.
As a legal process kicked in following the appointment of the receiver, and the failure of Cordil to complete the contract, Minister Ruari Quinn, said that the Department of Education “was in a consultation process with the NCR school’s Board of management, and that tenders were being sought”.
This process is now expected to last until at least February, a source told the Limerick Post, and construction work would recommence in the weeks following the awarding of the tender.
Cordil closed its Irish operations with the loss of 51 permanent jobs, and laying off up to 450 across a number of sites.
Subcontractors associated with the Limerick site were left unpaid, to the sum of over €300,000.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education stated that “all money owed under the terms of the contract have been paid to date”.
Managing director Gerry Dillon, said that “inclement weather” and being “owed substantial monies,” contributed to the cash-flow of the company being put under strain.
The company was working on 15 projects around the country, including the Ard Scoil Ris refurbishment, worth over €27million in total. Half were Government awarded.
With students returning to school this week, the site was secured and the building works made safe to allow the school to function.
