Education Minister Richard Bruton has said the State cannot intercede and take on the private debts of companies that go into liquidation.

The Department of Education is facing a showdown with schools subcontractors who have been left out of pocket after the collapse of the British construction giant Carrillion and the Irish group Sammon.

A contingency fund should be set up to ensure sub-contractors are paid what they are owed after massive delays and liquidations of two main firms involved in a school building public-private partnership (PPP), some TDs and senators believe.

The continuation of work on five schools, which was stalled due to the collapse of British construction giant Carillion could be open to legal challenge, a TD has claimed.

Two school extensions being built by the troubled Sammon Group are already over a year behind schedule.

With Morrissey in the house, we started something we couldn’t finish.

ENGINEERING and construction firm Sammon Group has secured contracts worth €120 million to build five primary schools in the United Arab Emirates.