[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Grumpy Jack

Any word yet on contracts for the Metro North enabling works being signed? The Business Case says contracts must be signed by now for first work to begin in January, ie Mater station box.

And what magically prevents them from being signed next week?

Also, the Mail on Sunday reports ...

My understanding is if the PPP process is scrapped then the PPP project is gone for good as it will be next to impossible to attract investors to tender on future PPPs in Ireland because of the risk of cancellation on a political whim.

Yes, it would be difficult.

And is there any substance to Tommy Broughan's assertion that the State may face compensation claims from the final bidders if the govt axes Metro? He bases it on the cancellation of a PPP motorway in Slovakia for which the Slovakian govt was forced to pay out €86m to the bidders.

It would seem there was an actual contract in that case, not a tender situation. In any case, it looks like there are shenanigans in the Slovakian overall PPP process.

http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/vie...nipulated.html

Originally Posted by dowlingm

Looks like one group is getting cold feet with ABP's relocation of the depot. Nothing to do with its financing bank being a complete basket case, of course.

Of course, there are four bidders. If one of the top two drop out, number 3 might be quite happy to re-join the process.

There are a bunch of errors in the SBP article - ABP removed the depot, they didn't exempt it (exempting it would mean it doesn't need planning permission / a railway order).