Sinn Féin’s Cllr Johnny Mythen has said work done by Sammon sub-contractors on schools around the country, including the new Loreto School in Wexford, must be certified by the sub-contractors and they must be paid for their work.
Cllr. Mythen was speaking after attending the public session with the Department of Public Expenditure and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) when they appeared before the Oireachtas Finance Committee last Thursday.
Cllr Mythen said: “The sub-contractors who built and supplied equipment for these schools face financial ruin because of the collapse of Sammon.“They have openly told us of the adverse effect this has taken on their personal health, mental health. and financial affairs.
“It is both legally and morally wrong for the new contractor to have an independent assessor certify the work of these sub-contractors, essentially ensuring that they will never be paid for their work.
“The work done by the sub-contractors must be certified by those sub-contractors. That is the legal obligation, but it is not being upheld in this instance.
“The new contractor must engage with those who built and supplied the equipment for these schools.
“These small indigenous family firms must not be the fall guys for the collapse of Sammon which itself was caused by the collapse of Carillion,” concluded Cllr Mythen.