An electrical contractor was being made a "scapegoat" for the mismanagement of the Jeanie Johnston replica Famine ship by the board of the project, it was claimed in the Circuit Court in Tralee, Co Kerry, yesterday.
The Jeanie Johnston (Ireland) Co Ltd, Blennerville, Tralee, sought an injunction against M.J. Marshall (Killarney) Ltd and M.J. Marshall (Electrical) Ltd, of Muckross Grove, Killarney, asking Mr Marshall to vacate the ship and remove his equipment.
The Jeanie Johnston Co told the court that Mr M.J. Marshall, the principal electrical contractor to the Jeanie Johnston, had given undertakings to complete work within a specified time but had failed to do so.
On June 25th last, the deputy chief surveyor from the Department of the Marine, Mr Seamus McLoughlin, went through the electrical work "and advised us he was not satisfied", said Mr Henry Downing, for the company. It was essential that a new electrical contractor should come on board and remedy the defects, Mr Downing said.
Mr McLoughlin told marine consultants that the Department would not grant the relevant certification to the vessel with the electrical installation in its present state.
Mr Brian Curtin, barrister for Mr Marshall, said his client had already vacated the ship and had removed his equipment.
"My client is owed £132,000 for work done in respect of labour and invoices to June 2001 and there is no sign of that money coming to him", he said.
The Jeanie Johnston Co says it has paid more than £87,000 to the contractor.
In late May, an inspection by the Department outlined 22 deficiencies in relation to the Jeanie Johnston but only six of these related to electrical matters, Mr Curtin said. He said his client had been defamed and was being made a scapegoat for general mismanagement.
Judge Harvey Kenny, referring to Mr Marshall's undertaking not to interfere with any new contractors, said that a more specific list of the alleged defects should be supplied by the Department immediately. Mr Marshall had three days to carry out his own inspection.
A meeting at the Department yesterday of 13 of the principal stakeholders in the project decided to set up a focus group to complete the vessel and to manage finances. A special meeting of Kerry County Council takes place today to discuss the future of the ship.