Updated 18:25

An initial review by the HSE has found “no safety concerns” regarding any of its facilities that were constructed by Western Building Systems.

Two Dublin schools - Tyrrelstown Educate Together National School and St Luke's National School - failed to open their doors yesterday after an audit uncovered structural issues with the buildings.

Last weekend meanwhile, a section of Ardgillan Community College in Dublin was over structural and safety concerns.

In all, there are concerns over the safety of 42 schools built by the company on behalf of the State in recent years.

The company was also involved in the construction of a number of medical facilities on behalf of the HSE.

In a statement this afternoon, the health service said it had carried out an initial review of all the facilities WBS were involved in and had confirmed that “there are currently no safety concerns” regarding their integrity.

It said it is in the process of carrying out a “comprehensive assessment of the relevant healthcare facilities to provide complete assurance.”

School inspections

Meanwhile, the Department of Education said it has been in contact with all schools constructed by Western Building Systems today.

It aid in a statement that structural assessments will continue over the weekend and through the mid-term break.

Tyrrelstown Educate Together National School, one of the two schools closed earlier this week. Image: Sean Defoe

Education Minister Joe McHugh observed: “Good progress has been made today in ensuring that the students and staff of the affected schools in Tyrrelstown will have an interim accommodation solution by the end of the mid-term break. 

"While we await the outcome of further structural assessments, we would wish to be clear that school buildings will only be closed where it is deemed necessary to do so, and every effort will be made to minimise disruption to students, staff and families.”

"Fully compliant"

Earlier today, WBS insisted that the Government had certified each of the three schools caught up in the controversy as “fully compliant.”

It said the Department of Education had set strict building timeframes for all three of the schools in question – noting that the contracts “stipulated that they be completed within a timeframe of 20-26 weeks.”

“We met these timelines as per our contractual obligations,” it said.

“The Department itself deemed each project to be fully compliant, issuing the supporting certificates of completion.”

The company is meeting with department officials this afternoon.

It welcomed the opportunity to discuss the concerns with the Government, “as it allows for a better understanding of why these three schools, previously deemed compliant by the Department, have now been closed.”

Structural issues

Leo Varadkar meeting the management of the closed schools in Tyrrelstown. “Is there any way we can stay here?” pic.twitter.com/SjrP4V6MeM

— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) October 25, 2018

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the two closed schools in west Dublin this morning.

He said assessments are being carried out to investigate the serious of the structural issues on both schools and some hospital units.

“That is being checked out,” he said.

“The initial indications from Beaumont anyway and some of the health buildings is that they are not affected.

“The initial indications from Firhouse last night is that some of the schools built more recently, in the last couple of years, are not affected - or if they are affected they are affected in a minor way and won’t require the schools to close.”

The Government has said the attorney general has been consulted on the potential for legal action over the defects.

Minister McHugh said the Exchequer would provide the funding to carry out repairs while any litigation makes its way through the courts.