asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that a building contractor (name supplied) was informed verbally by an official of the Office of Public Works that his tender for the erection of Stackallen school, County Meath, was successful; that he was advised to arrange for the necessary insurance cover to be taken out; that when this was done he was informed that the contract had been given to the only other firm which had tendered for the job; and if he will take steps to rectify the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tender for Meath School.
9.
It is not correct to say that the contractor in question was informed that his tender, which was one of five received, for the erection of the new national school at Stackallen would be accepted. The position is that at the time of tender the contractor who submitted the lowest price for the work had several other contracts in hands for the Office of Public Works, and it was felt that the award of the Stackallen contract to him might result in his being overloaded. The question of accepting another tender accordingly came under consideration and the contractor referred to by the Deputy was asked for the purpose of considering his tender in conjunction with the other tenders received if he could furnish evidence of his ability to provide a bond from an insurance company for the satisfactory completion of the contract in the event of his tender being accepted. He obtained confirmation of his ability to procure such a bond, but it then transpired that the contractor who had submitted the lowest tender had made such progress with the contracts which he already had on hands that there was no longer any justification for passing over his tender. That tender, which is about £2,000 lower than that of the contractor referred to by the Deputy, has accordingly been accepted.
Is it not a fact that the man who has got the contract had a number of contracts which he had previously been given taken from him because he was unable to complete them and that he still had a number on hands? Is it not also true that this man was not asked to get the bonds but was told he was the successful contractor and advised to get the bonds. Will the Parliamentary Secretary state was it as a result of the visit of some political friends of this man that the change took place?
It is a question of getting the school built as economically as possible. The tender which was accepted was £2,000 lower than that submitted by the man the Deputy refers to. The lowest tender was accepted. There was a marked improvement in the work of this man whose tender was accepted.
I suggest the Office of Public Works should do their own work and not be influenced by political friends.
I could not agree more with the Deputy. The Office of Public Works is perfectly right to accept the lowest tender.
They often do the reverse.
They did not do that in the first place.