Richard Bruton: State can’t take on collapsed firms’ debt

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

He was commenting after building subcontractors went to a school construction site in Carlow and removed equipment they installed and have not been paid for. They took large railings from the perimeter wall of Tyndall College’s new school building and placed them on a flatbed truck.

Work on five schools stopped in January after UK construction company Carillion went bust. Since then Irish company Sammon Construction has gone into liquidation, leaving subcontractors without being paid.