Local companies should benefit from the Government’s School Building Programme - MacSharry.

The announcement by the Minister for Education yesterday that the €579 million schools capital programme for 2010 will create up to 5,300 jobs has been welcomed by Senator Marc Mac Sharry.

The Senator said however, “It is essential to our economy locally and nationally that these jobs remain in this jurisdiction. The Irish Construction sector has one of the highest unemployment rates. It is therefore imperative that we prioritise local and national contracting firms when awarding the tender.”

“Under EU rules governing procedures in the awarding of public contracts it is possible that some of these contracts maybe awarded to companies from other jurisdictions. In this event, valuable jobs and taxpayer’s money would see its way out of the economy. This is not sensible for Ireland at this moment in time.”

“The risk of these contracts being awarded elsewhere is most acute in the border counties where pressures from Northern Ireland’s lower cost base, including VAT and minimum wages exacerbate the situation.”

Mac Sharry said, “The contract awarding body should be sensible and act strategically in assessing the merits of tenders. In determining the most economically advantageous tender, consideration must be given not just to quality and value for money but the wider implications for the local and national economy.”

With this in mind it is our duty to ensure that all 5,300 jobs and the disposable income they will generate remain in and for the benefit of the Irish economy and its people’, concluded the Senator.