Stand-off at county Limerick school
This photo of the stand-off at Kilfinane NS was published on Twitter by @ElusiveDame
GARDAI have been called to a stand-off between sub-contractors and parents at Kilfinane National School.
Dozens of people are currently at the school and negotiations are underway.
Sub-contractors who worked on the school say they are owed money on the project. Once the children finished school this afternoon a number of contractors went in to take back their property.
The power was turned off, classroom doors and fitted furniture taken out. It is understood a jeep was parked on the way out of the school to block them exiting.
Seamus Cusack, of Dovetail fitted furniture, says he is owed €19,500.
“We’re getting the run around. I took out the cloak units for hanging coats, sliding doors cabinets, doors of sink units. It’s sad we are forced to do this.
“We’re blocked in at the moment, somebody is after pulling a jeep across the front and there are parents and kids around as well. There is a stand of between the parents and all the contractors. We are trying to get out the gate and we’re not being allowed,” said Mr Cusack.
Mike Browne, electrical contractor, says he is owed €14,000.
“Jobs are very tight, jobs are only paying the wages. I turned off the power,” said Mr Browne.
Ger Rice, who supplied all the joinery, is owed €21,000.
“In total there is between €120,000 and €150,000 owed to sub-contractors that we know off. I’ve removed all the classroom doors, every door from the building has been removed.
“We’ve done everything we could apart from this. We came in to the building when the kids had left. If we get paid we’ll come back and install what we took out and have the school ready on Monday morning,” said Mr Rice.
The state of the art new school, which cost in the region of €1.5 million to build, was only opened in September.
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Weather for Limerick
Friday 24 May 2013
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