Hopes high of September opening for new Eureka School

NOELLE FINEGAN
Hopes are high that students of Eureka Secondary School in Kells will be in their new school building in September, with the tenders for the completion of works currently being evaluated.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education confirmed that the deadline for the receipt of tenders was 5th April. 
The re-tendering process for the completion of construction and the provision of facilities management services under the Schools Bundle 5 PPP project, which includes Eureka, is currently being undertaken by the Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF) on behalf of the public private partnership (PPP) company, Inspired Spaces.
A department spokesperson confirmed the deadline for receipt of tenders was 5th April and that tenders are currently being evaluated by DIF, in consultation with the project funders. It has not been disclosed how many tenders were received.

 “Based on the expected time-frame for the evaluation of tenders, negotiation and appointment of the replacement contractors, DIF has targeted and is working towards having all six buildings, including Eureka Kells, operational for the beginning of the coming school year, with the most advanced schools to be delivered earlier in the summer if possible,” the  spokesperson said.
Eureka principal Caroline O'Reilly said while the school is around 90 per cent complete, there are still a number of weeks work and possibly months to be completed before they could move in. 
She said the tenders were due in on 5th April and after that would be evaluated and reviewed. She added that once the negotiations around the re-tender for the completion of works and facilities management are completed they will have a better idea of what time is needed to complete the work.
News of the collapse of Carillion which had subcontracted Sammon for the major schools building project, came as a huge blow to the Eureka school community and Ms O'Reilly said they “couldn't believe it when the news broke”. They were expected to be in the new 800 pupil school in February of this year.
“We had definitely thought we would be in at this stage. I suppose in January when the news properly broke, we knew we wouldn't be in and it would be paused,” she said.
The dramatic collapse of Carillion had severe financial consequences for Sammon Contracting which had been subcontracted to build the schools. Last week an interim examiner was appointed to the Sammon Group prompting Deputy Thomas Byrne to call for clarification on school projects around the country affected by the Sammon Group entering into examinership.
Meanwhile, Deputy Regina Doherty said she was confident the schools would proceed as planned despite the examiner being appointed. “There is a clear incentive for DIF and its lenders to finish the Eureka school, and the others in the bundle, as quickly as possible. The only payment the PPP Company has received to date is €4 million for off-site works. I can confirm that no further payment will be made by the Department of Education and Skills until the schools are operational. That means the companies involved have every incentive to complete the school in Kells quickly,” she said.
In relation to Sammon, the department of education spokesperson said: “Any implications arising from 
the appointment of an 
interim examiner to the Sammon Contracting Group, including on timelines, will need to be considered by DIF as part of its tender evaluation process.”