‘I Can’t For The Life Of Me Understand Why No One Gives A Bollox’

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From top: Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace; Minister for Education Joe McHugh

This afternoon.

In the Dáil.

As Minister for Education Joe McHugh and TDs made statements on the structural issues at Western Building Systems-built schools

Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace said:

How in God’s name did one company get so much State work? I’d love to know that. What kind of connections do they have to get so much work? I’d like to know that.

“…It’s so blatantly obvious that there are so many problems around how youse are doing things. I can’t for the life of me understand why no one gives a bollox like, I mean, why doesn’t somebody want to change it? Why doesn’t somebody want to address the inherent problems – the problems that have been there for years – because they can be fixed, you can do things different.

“…A guy in my office pulled out an article this morning, from October 2015. It says Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan confirmed she’s currently arranging safety checks on some facilities built by Western Building Systems which has constructed 26 schools for the State since 2008 after chronic problems were exposed.

“And in 2014 and 2015, the same company got more schools with the same Government. Why in God..Why would you give more work to a company that had proved itself to be doing poor work. Why would you do that? Can you answer that?

“Why does a company who has proved themselves not to be good get more work? I don’t understand that. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Here is a list of the 42 schools completed by Western Building Systems between 2003 and 2018 – 14 of which were built from 2015 on.

Related: Parents to picket Dublin school over structural issues (RTE)

Watch back in full here

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28 thoughts on “‘I Can’t For The Life Of Me Understand Why No One Gives A Bollox’

  1. millie st murderlark

    He’s not always my cup of tea but a massive +1 to Mick for bringing it up.

    Don’t let it go. I hope he’s like a dog with a bone.

  2. giggidygoo

    And to top it off this morning, they bring parents and children into a school that’s basically a dangerous building site, wanting them to agree to send their children there. No photo shoot for McHugh and Varadkar even.
    This and previous governments have a serious deficiency in the ‘due diligence’ area. And, as Mick Wallace says, you’d wonder why that’s the case.

  3. Cian

    “…A guy in my office pulled out an article this morning, from October 2015. It says Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan confirmed she’s currently arranging safety checks on some facilities built by Western Building Systems which has constructed 26 schools for the State since 2008 after chronic problems were exposed.

    And in 2014 and 2015, the same company got more schools with the same Government. “

    Isn’t October 2015 after 2014 and (most of) 2015?
    Or should the Department of Education have used a crystal ball back in 2014 to see if the schools already built would be okay into the future?

  4. Cian

    “…It’s so blatantly obvious that there are so many problems around how youse are doing things. I can’t for the life of me understand why no one gives a bollox like, I mean, why doesn’t somebody want to change it? Why doesn’t somebody want to address the inherent problems – the problems that have been there for years – because they can be fixed, you can do things different.

    And things did change in 2014 where stricter Building Control Regulations were introduced.

    1. Increasing Displacement

      Regulations are great but all the builder had to do was stick to what the engineers dictated and actually printed out for them.
      This tendering is a race to the bottom and whoever gets the contract will do whatever it takes to cut corners as they’ve already left themselves no wiggle room

  5. BS

    I wish he’d get a hair cut and wear something other than tee shirts…it would make him easier to take seriously and less open to ridicule and being fobbed off in the dail.

    I know how he dresses *shouldnt matter, but it does, and no one really takes him seriously when they should

    1. gringo

      Unlike Boy Scout, Mick Wallace actually knows how to build a wall that stays up for longer than 4 years. Anyway, Mick is not too worried whether you like his hair or not, you baldy loon.

  6. A Person

    The problem is the cheapest price gets the work as opposed to the bast price. Also once you tender, you get asked to reduce your price further – a ridiculous best and final offer. Any tender should involve a employer’s oversight clerk of works. No public tenders have this.

    1. Otis Blue

      Really?

      I regularly tender for work* but have never been asked to enter negotiations on price either during the process or at award stage. It’s worth mentioning that price – though a factor- is only one of a number of weighted variables that comprise the award criteria.

      *not construction

      1. Cian

        I concur.

        However public tenders have changed and there is less of a weighting toward price now than 10+ years ago. They often have minimum requirements that may exclude some of the cowboys.

    2. Sham Bob

      The issue is the builder trying to increase their margin by cutting corners once the work has started.

        1. Cian

          I try to be honest. When I post I endeavour to be factual; or if not I indicate personal opinions.
          I avoid damaging people’s reputations.

          So with due respect millie[1], no.

          [1] Yer a @#%☆!!!

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