PPP school managers ‘lack control’

SOME of the teething problems encountered with the running of schools that have been built under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been highlighted in a Department of Education inspection report.

Ballincollig Community School in Co Cork opened its state-of-the-art new building three years ago. It was one of five second-level schools built under a pilot PPP project between the department and private company Jarvis, which was paid around €283 million to maintain the schools for 25 years.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced last year that 27 more schools would be built under PPP contracts at a cost of €300m to the State up to 2009.