Construction firms have pulled out of deals to build over a dozen new schools around the country due to the rising cost of steel, timber and other materials.
That's according to the Sunday Times, which reports builders have also pulled out of contracts for school extensions.
Sinn Féin education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire says it's a blow to communities like Carrignavar in Cork who've been waiting decades for improvements:
That's a very worrying situation for Carrignavar, I know that, that community has been campaigning for a very long time, to see tenders pull out is very worrying, I suppose, whatever can be done now to try and keep this on tracks what that means in the in the case of this particular project is giving the patron and the school authorities zone flexibility to walk with the companies who have tendered because I suppose the last thing we want to see is, this having to be re-tendered."
