asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (a) the names of the firms supplying tar and tar bitumen to local bodies through the central purchasing section of his Department; (b) the periods during which the firms in question have been supplying this material; (c) the method of choosing contractors, and (d) the method of checking the quality and quantity of the material delivered.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supplying of Tar and Tar Bitumen.
The official contractors for the year 1951 for tar are the Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Wexford Gas Companies and the Irish Tar Distillers and, for tar bitumen mixture, the Irish Tar Distillers. The Dublin Gas Company have been official contractors for tar since the year 1930, when official contractors were first appointed. The Wexford Gas Company were official contractors in the years 1937, 1944 to 1947, and 1949 to 1951. The Cork Gas Company have been official contractors in the years 1944 to 1951, excluding the year 1949, and the Limerick Gas Company have been official contractors since the year 1945. The Irish Tar Distillers have been official contractors for tar since 1942-43 and, for tar bitumen mixture, in the years 1939 to 1942, 1946 and 1947, and 1949 to 1951. Official contractors are appointed annually after the invitation of tenders in the public Press. Samples of the materials delivered are tested by the State Analyst. The onus of checking the quantity of the materials delivered rests on the local authorities concerned.