Work on square ‘back on track’

THE €9 million transformation of Galway’s Eyre Square is expected to be completed in time for Easter. Work on the city centre project, which resumed in October, is being carried out by SIAC Construction.

The original contractor quit the site in late June.

As a result, the project had been stalled during the summer months, at the height of the tourist season, causing dismay among local business people and politicians. However, all is again going to plan, according to a Galway City Council spokesman.

“We hope to have it finished by April. Work is going very well on it. Everything is well on target,” he said.

The project was plunged into chaos when the original contractor abandoned the site in the early hours of June 27 without any prior notice, according to the council.

Before that, in April 2005, more than 30 Irish and Polish workers walked off the Galway site over non-payment of wages.

The €6.4m contract was awarded to Samuel Kingston Construction Ltd (SKCL) in January 2004, with a deadline of 78 weeks. But EU meetings in Galway delayed the start, extending the deadline to November 2005.

SKCL blamed the city council for failing to honour its contractual obligations, a claim disputed by the local authority, which said the company had been given more than e3m of a contract price of e6.5m.

The spokesman said the city council was “very happy” with the work being undertaken by SIAC Construction and the project was taking “great shape”.

Work has been completed on the north side of the square and, after the Christmas break, the focus will move to the east side, which will be pedestrianised.

When SKCL pulled out the council had to work out a plan of action to get in another construction company as soon as possible and get the project back on track.

The council spokesman said this had been done in association with other bodies, such as the Chamber of Commerce the Heart of Galway city centre traders and Ireland West Tourism.

“Really, there was great cooperation and they are pulling together on it.”

SIAC Construction Ltd has undertaken several urban renewal schemes over the past three years, including the redevelopment of Dublin’s O’Connell Street.