asked the Minister for Transport and Power if his attention has been drawn to a document recently circulated to members of Dáil Éireann which alleged that the graving dock in Dublin was allotted on contract at £890,000, and finished by costing £3,000,000, and that the original terms of contract provided for completion within 123 weeks, but that it actually took four years to complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Graving Dock Contract.
3.
The contract was placed by the Dublin Port and Docks Board in 1951. I am informed by the Board that the original contract price was £892,641, that the final cost was £1,464,565 and that the increase was mainly attributable to
(a) Exceptional foundation difficulties encountered by the contractors which could not have been foreseen, and
(b) Rising building costs for which the contract had provided.
The original contract period was 143 working weeks, commencing in April, 1951, but due mainly to the foundation difficulties referred to, the dock was not completed until the summer of 1957.
The author of the document referred to by the Deputy represented one of the unsuccessful tenderers for the contract.
Was there any extra work, apart from the difficulties?
Not as far as I know. The difficulty was due to things that could not have been foreseen in regard to the laying of the dock floor or raising of the water level and the substrata. Outside consultants had to be employed and eventually the difficulty was overcome by a deep well pumping system.
Was the tender accepted the lowest tender?
No, the lowest tender was not accepted on that occasion because it did not permit of a type of construction which allowed for satisfactory inspection of the work in progress.
It was the second lowest tender?
Yes, the second lowest tender.