Construction Ireland Construction Directory
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Share this page
Construction News
21/11/2011

'Incompetence' Accusation Over Consultancy Contract

Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has accused the Minister for Education of "incompetence" following further revelations of mismanagement of a €35million retraining programme for redundant construction workers.

The Department of Education has awarded a contract to WRC Consultancy of up to €2.89million to provide ‘technical and administrative’ support to the Department in running the training programme despite the fact that none of the 9,000 eligible workers have been contacted.

Deputy Doherty said: "Last June the Government applied for €41 million from the European Globalisation Fund to provide retraining support for 9,000 named construction workers made redundant between 2009 and 2010.

"The European Commission in October of this year approved €35 million to provide supports for almost 6,000 of these workers.

"Despite now being redundant for more than two years and having been named in the application submitted to the European Union last June, none of the 9,000 workers have been contacted by the Department.

-- Advertisement --

"Now it appears that the Department of Education has awarded a contract to WRC Consultancy to the tune of up to €2.89m to provide 'technical and administrative' support to the Department in running a €35m European Globalisation Fund.

"While the details of what 'technical and administrative'support a will entail are not yet clear it is astounding that the Government has awarded this contract before contacting any of the 9,000 individuals in whose names this funding has been secured.

"The European Globalisation Fund is intended to provide tailor made training opportunities for redundant workers to complement existing provision by state agencies. The funding must be spent by June 2012. Any money that is not spent by this date must be returned to Brussels.

"Clearly the Minister for Education has his priorities all wrong. How can a contract be awarded to a private consultancy firm before the individuals who are meant to benefit from the funding have even been contacted? Not only have their training needs not been assessed for the purposes of developing the tailored made training but the Government does not even know if they are still in the country. Yet up to €2.89m is being handed out to private consultants for as yet unspecified support.

"While Ruarí Quinn inherited this mess from his predecessor he has now been in office for eight months and very little appears to have changed. His approach is nothing short of incompetent.

"The big losers in all of this will be the 9,000 named workers who have yet to be told if there is extra support for them to assist them in up-skilling and returning to employment and who may lose valuable opportunities as a result of political and departmental mismanagement."

Latest Construction News

03/05/2024

Construction work has commenced on a new £9 million build at Rowandale Integrated Primary School in Moira. Funding from the Fresh Start Programme will facilitate the establishment of a new, modern primary school, with 14 classrooms and a nursery unit capable of accommodating over 340 ...
03/05/2024

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. together with Leas Chathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Gerry McMonagle, has opened the Greencastle Harbour Breakwater. The 270-metre Breakwater aims to improve the protection of vessels in the harbour against wave ...
03/05/2024

NI Water has initiated a £3.5 million improvement programme at Newcastle Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW). Murphy Dawson Wam JV is undertaking the project, which focuses on improving the three-stage treatment process at the current facility. This will entail installing new filtration gear and a ...
03/05/2024

Bennett Construction has announced that it has achieved Practical Completion (PC) on the Tristan Square Development in Chapelizod, Dublin. The project includes the construction of 180 social and affordable apartments split in to one, two and three bed homes over three blocks. Each of the units are ...
03/05/2024

SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland have revealed that Microsoft has committed to a lengthy Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with the co-developers. This agreement will inject 30MW of wind energy into Ireland's power grid through the recently launched Lenalea Wind Farm, located near ...
03/05/2024

Farrans has announced that it has collected three awards, including one Gold, at the Considerate Constructor Scheme's National Awards. The CCS National Awards honour outstanding sites, organisations and people who show exceptional commitment to the Code of Considerate Practice in Community, ...
03/05/2024

County Down headquartered GRAHAM has started construction work on a new £59 million low-carbon development in Edinburgh. The Burnet Point scheme in Abbey Lane which combines student flats, build-to-rent and affordable homes is the first-ever mixed-use residential development of its kind by Unite ...
03/05/2024

Alliance's Housing spokesperson, Kellie Armstrong MLA, has welcomed the NI Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA) commitment to reduce carbon emissions in social homes and combat climate change. Housing associations are currently in the process of developing a scheme set to launch this autumn. ...
03/05/2024

Fibrus has announced that it has exceeded its 80,000 customer milestone, as it gains over 50,000 customers in just one year. The broadband provider burst on to the scene to transform the digital infrastructure of rural and regional areas of Northern Ireland and has shaken up the market due to its ...
03/05/2024

Infrastructure Minister, John O'Dowd, has announced his support for the 'No Mow May' approach to help promote biodiversity on the roadside during this month. The Department for Infrastructure oversees the maintenance of 45,000km of grass verges along the road network. In recent years, it has been ...
Special FormworkMaterials Market LtdNorthwest Drilling ServicesMaterials Market LtdToner Damp Proofing SuppliesMcHale Plant Sales LtdFITACTool FixShannonside GalvanizingCarlow Concrete Tanks
Terms and Conditions
2024/05/04 06:44:24