asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state the original estimated cost submitted to the Laoighis County Board of Health by their consulting engineer for the provision of a water supply scheme for the town of Mountmellick, Co. Leix; the price submitted by the contractor who carried out the work; the actual cost incurred to date and the additional charge, if any, to the ratepayers in the dispensary area; whether his Department was requested by the Board of Health to send down an Inspector for the purpose of finding out and deciding as to whether the additional cost was properly authorised and incurred, and if he can now state what action he has taken or proposes to take in this case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mountmellick Water Supply.
(1) The original estimate of cost submitted by the engineer was £12,000.
(2) So far as the information at my disposal shows, a contract for £9,947 appears to have been entered into.
(3) The extras on the contract were certified by the engineer as £2,072 13s. 8d., bringing the expenditure up to £12,019 13s. 8d. apart from engineer's fees, salary of clerk of works, legal expenses and expenditure on the acquisition of land. Owing to a clerical error the original cost was underestimated.
(4) An inspection of the works, made following upon a request by the Board of Health, showed that the extra works carried out were necessary.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied that this was due to a clerical error?
According to the information at my disposal, the underestimation was due to a clerical error.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied as to that?