The Department of Education has refused to say why it has failed to pay a rental bill for school prefabs amounting to more than €200,000 for a school in Co Louth.
The bill for Le Cheile Educate Together national school in Drogheda has been building since last December and one prefab company has threatened to sue the school unless the money is paid.
The money is owed to two companies, Extraspace and Allspace, and also to the Drogheda Grammar School in whose grounds Le Cheile is situated. The 350-pupil school, housed in 22 prefabs, has been left with debts totalling €213,000.
A spokesman for the Department told The Irish Timesit was treating the issue "as a matter of urgency" and it was "endeavouring to have the payment made to the school at an early date."
It is unclear why the monies were left unpaid. The school claims invoices from the companies were sent by the Board of Management to the Department as normal. When asked why the debt was allowed to build up, the Department spokesman refused to comment.