1998 | Report to the Inter-Departmental Group on introducing Public Private Partnerships. |
1999 | Government establishes the Central PPP Policy Unit within the Department of Finance and announces eight PPP pilot projects. |
2000 | Design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) PPP Pilot Schools Bundle sponsored by the Department of Education & Skills for the development and operation of five new schools. |
2001 | Contract award to Public Private Partnership (Ireland) Ltd (Project Company), with a contract value of €63.7 million, and projected total cost of all PPP payments of €290.4 million. |
2001- - 2002 | Schools built and fit-out by the Project Company. |
2002 | Government passes the State Authorities (PPP Arrangements) and National Development Finance Agency Acts to enable state PPPs. The latter also established the NDFA to fund development using long term debt and equity. |
2002 | Service commencement of the five Pilot PPP Schools, with a 25-year term. |
2004 | Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) commissions a value for money review into the Pilot PPP Schools Bundle and noted that the original 'cost comparison exercise concluded that procuring and running the schools through the proposed PPP arrangement would result in a saving of around 6% compared to procuring and running the schools conventionally'. The report also noted that the original analysis contained errors in the timing and discounting of payments and overestimated the residual value of the school buildings at contract term. New analysis, correcting for these errors, and reflecting changes to interest rates and the treatment of VAT, led the C&AG to conclude that the final PPP deal was in the range 8 to 13% more expensive than under conventional procurement. The report concludes that it is too early for a comprehensive comparison of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the school PPPs and recommends that a more detailed review be conducted later. |
2007 | NDFA expanded to include a Centre of Expertise for Procuring PPPs to advise State Contracting Authorities. |
2012 | C&AG recommends that 'evaluations of the value for money expected to be achieved through procurement of projects by means of PPP should now be stated and published'. |
2012 | NDFA authorised to provide contract management services for PPP projects, including: • Managing the delivery of services by PPP Project Companies and ensuring their contract compliance • Monitoring condition surveys by PPP Project Companies and reviewing their annual and five-year maintenance plans • Monthly reporting of PPP Project Companies performance and applying deductions for service and availability failures • Ensuring required changes are managed in accordance with contracts • Managing five-year market testing and benchmarking of services in accordance with contracts |
2018 | DoE commissions a Review of Pilot PPP Schools Bundle, the first review of the original eight PPP pilot projects. |
2019 | Review of Pilot PPP Schools Bundle conducted. |
2027 | Pilot PPP Schools Bundle end of contract term. |