Govt criticised for handling of school project PPP
The Government’s spending watchdog has criticised the Department of Education’s handling of a school building project completed under a public-private partnership.
In a report into the project, the Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell said the scheme could end up costing the State up to 13% more than it would have if constructed under the traditional approach.
The Government had originally claimed that the public-private partnership would save the State around 6% in costs.
In his report today, Mr Purcell criticised the Department of Education for failing to set a budget or spending limit for the project.
He also recommended that a retrospective evaluation of the scheme be undertaken after five years to assess the costs and benefits in light of operational experience.
Under the project, the British firm Jarvis constructed five schools in Ballincollig, Clones, Dunmanway, Shannon and Tubbercurry. The facilities are also managed by Jarvis.
Under the deal, the company received a lump sum of €8.9m and is due to receive monthly payments over the next 25 years that will bring the total cost to an estimated €283m.
