Albert Dolan
Question:110. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on current delays to payments to design teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70756/25]
View answerThursday, 11 December 2025
Questions (110)
Written answers
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects.
The Department’s school building programme is delivered through a range of procurement strategies, which are tailored to the scale and complexity of our projects and programmes and allow access to a diversity of contractors and consultants. This approach has maintained a strong and consistent delivery, even through recent Brexit and Covid-related turbulence in the construction sector
To support the necessary scale of delivery the Department utilises devolved delivery arrangements through a diversity of partners and have put supports in place to bolster the capacity of partner organisations, including buildings officers and project management supports. Smaller scale school building projects, including all Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, are delivered on a devolved basis for the most part. Individual school authorities are typically the client on these projects and they have the responsibility for making payments to Design Teams and contractors in accordance with the requirements and timelines set out in the public services contracts and public works contracts. The Department provides advance funding to school authorities to enable them to make these payments in a timely manner. There should not therefore be any reason for delays with payments for services or works that are delivered in accordance with the requirements set out in the relevant public services contracts and public works contracts. If the Deputy has any particular case in mind regarding a delayed payment, I am happy for the Department to have it examined and to clarify the position regarding payment.
As part of its stakeholder engagement, the Department engages with industry representatives including the Construction Industry Federation (in relation to works contracts) and professional representative bodies such as the RIAI, SCSI and ACEI in which payment of invoices and fees are discussed as part of stakeholder communications. The Department is committed to continuing to work with all stakeholders – in the construction industry and within the school sector - to ensure that all aspects of school building project delivery and associated payments are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible.