asked the Minister for Education when outstanding payments for State construction contracts will be made to a building firm (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if she will use her good offices to expedite the payment.
Written Answers. - School Construction Contract Payments.
399.
I propose to deal with the position in relation to those projects where grants are payable by my Department. There are seven such projects in all, and in each a national school is concerned. In the case of five of the projects, the school authorities themselves placed the contracts. The accounts in respect of three of these were cleared between the 13th and 15th of this month. The other two projects in this category are at the final account stage: in one of these, the final account has been lodged and is being processed with a view to an early payment being made, and in the other the draft final account is still awaited. The remaining two school projects are ones in which the Commissioners of Public Works placed the contracts. In these cases, the final accounts are being examined with a view to an early payment. Where there are still outstanding payments, I have asked that examination of claims should be expedited.