asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the great urgency of proceeding with a solution of the Shannon flooding problem and the failure to secure sufficient engineers for the work, immediate consideration will be given to inviting tenders from competent international engineering survey companies so that there will be no further delay in remedying this urgent and major problem.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shannon Flooding.
36.
As already announced, the engineering survey of the Shannon will be commenced this spring. In arranging for this, various methods, including the engagement of consultant engineering firms, are being considered.
May I take it the Parliamentary Secretary is prepared to consider as a matter of urgency the recruitment of skilled engineering companies from Europe and America to undertake this survey work? I take it he is aware that a number of these people are prepared to do this work and complete the survey in 12 months? In view of that, will he take the necessary action and obviate the terrible annual distress which the unfortunate people on the banks of the Shannon have to suffer?
The matters referred to by the Deputy are under active consideration. I can assure him there is no company that could survey the Shannon in 12 months. However, if the Deputy knows of such a company, I shall be delighted to hear from him.
I take it the Parliamentary Secretary is now prepared to inquire from reputable international survey companies as to how long it will take to do this survey?
We have already done that. The whole matter is under consideration.
Has it been done in a public fashion? Has the Parliamentary Secretary sought these tenders on a world basis?
That is not the way it is done at all.
What way is it done? I do not want to be awkward. Is the procedure that the Parliamentary Secretary communicates with particular firms abroad and invites them to take up the survey work? Is that the method?
Not quite. The Government are most anxious to adopt or adapt any system which will speed up the drainage of the Shannon. As suggested by the Deputy, our chief engineer has been in touch with other consulting engineers of world eminence. They have advised him as to what steps might be taken. Those suggestions are under consideration at present.
May I take it a decision will shortly be taken in this respect?
As I say, the matter is under consideration. I hope we will be able to come up with some proposal in the near future which will help to expedite the work of the survey.
Is this on the basis of the Rydell Report?
Unfortunately, there have been a lot of technological improvements in surveying and so forth since the Rydell Report. With the greatest respect to the gentlemen who prepared it, I am afraid the report is a bit antediluvian and archaic in present engineering circumstances. We are far in advance of the Rydell Report recommendations.