Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has come under fire after the HSE awarded a €14 million contract to Western Building Systems.

The firm is being sued by the Department of Education after building defects were found in the 42 schools WBS built for the State over the last few years.

Despite this, the company has been appointed to build the new 60 bed ward at University Hospital Limerick.

Fianna Fáil representative Barry Cowen has hit out at the Taoiseach's "all talk and no action" approach and criticised a "clear" lack of communication between Departments.

Deputy Cowen said: "During Leaders Questions in February of this year, in responding to questions around the NCH overrun the Taoiseach said, 'There are one or two contractors who, quite frankly, I would not like to see get a public contract again in this State'.

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"He went on to say that the Government would examine the problem of low-balling and low-price tenders and said that 'we also particularly want to look at contractors' past form and public service references. However, EU procurement law does not allow us to ban people from tendering. Perhaps we can work into the scoring system a public service reference or a past form clause looking at previous projects'.

"The Taoiseach himself is on record as having said there needs to be a change in the tendering process and that contractors past performance needs to be taken into account, but as usual we know that his promises only last as long as the news cycle.

"I'd like to know whether Western Building Systems is one of the contractors he'd not like to see get a public contract given that last year serious structural flaws were found in over 20 schools. This caused huge headaches for parents as children were returning to school.

"Yet in May this year the HSE signed a contract awarding a €14 million contract to Western Building Systems to build a new ward at University Hospital Limerick without reference to their past form. Are the Government happy to reward bad behaviour or do the Departments just not speak to one another?

"The Taoiseach's empty promises on the tendering process have ensured that these farcical situations will be allowed to happen time and time again under the Fine Gael Government," concluded Deputy Cowen.

(CM/JG)