Fury as local firm is banned from swimming pool tender

A company which built a public swimming pool in the mid-1970s has been told it can not tender for its €4m replacement because it has not built a pool in the past seven years.

Cork county councillors have described new tendering guidelines, imposed by the Government and the EU, as ‘crazy’ and claim they will inevitably lead to job losses among smaller companies.

Cahalane Brothers Ltd, which is based in Dunmanway, was told by council officials it was precluded from tendering for the town’s new swimming pool because it did not meet the criteria of having built one in the past seven years.