asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether any representations have been received from recognised Irish Engineering Institutions, or from Irish Power Supply Authorities, regarding the Ministry's proposed arrangement with Messrs. Siemens Schuckertwerke, and, if so, what is the purport of the representations; further, whether it is proposed to instruct the Siemens Schuckertwerke to proceed with the Shannon power arrangement, as set out in the White Paper.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - IRISH INSTITUTIONS' REPRESENTATIONS RE SHANNON DEVELOPMENT.
Representations on this matter have been received from the Institute of Civil Engineers and the Electricity Supply Association of Ireland. The purport of these representations is that the proper procedure would have been to employ Consulting Engineers to report on the possibilities of the Shannon, and to put up any scheme they recommended to general tender.
Rigid adherence to such a procedure would rule out of consideration any such offer as that made by Messrs. Siemens to satisfy experts that a national scheme, based on the Shannon, is practicable, and would consequently restrict unduly the possibilities of electrical development.
Messrs. Siemens are being instructed to proceed on the basis set out in the White Paper.