Clare County Council has confirmed plans to commence a tendering process to appoint a new contractor to complete the Clare County Library project.
Construction of the new facility, adjacent to glór in Ennis, has been stalled for several months.
L&M Keating had been contracted to construct the €14m development however it has now been confirmed that an examiner has been appointed to the Kilmihil based firm.
The project was originally due to be completed by late next year however the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, which forced construction work to cease nationally for two months, meant the date for completion was pushed out until 2022.
Clare County Council is now saying they do not have a timeline for the appointment of a replacement contractor.
In a statement this evening, the local authority said: “Clare County Council will shortly commence a tendering process to appoint a new contractor to the County Library project.
The decision comes following the appointment by the High Court last week of an examiner to L&M Keating Limited. At this juncture we do not have a timeline for the appointment of a completion contractor,” the council statement said.
A statement on the company website said: “Keating Construction is working to achieve our long-term strategic aim to be a leading marine engineering company in Europe and the UK.
The impact of Covid-19, Brexit and the current trading environment has been challenging in recent months. In this context, the company had no other choice but to take steps to ensure our long-term ambitions, protect jobs and achieve the best outcome for current creditors.
In court, after hearing the support from a number of our creditors, the judge confirmed our entry into voluntary examinership – a positive step for the future sustainability of the company. This will allow us to seek the investment needed for the restructuring necessary to achieve our goals.
Over the coming weeks, our senior management team will be working with the appointed examiner to secure the future of the company and our employees. We intend to emerge from this process as a stronger company ready to avail of the significant opportunities for the type of work we do – delivering complex engineering projects – in the growing marketplace in the UK and across northern Europe,” the statement concluded.