asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the Mangerton-Killarney group water scheme, County Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.
34.
This scheme has been approved and the group has been instructed to seek quotations for the necessary works and materials.
35.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the difficulties experienced by the committees of group water schemes in getting contractors to tender for such schemes; and if he will (a) agree to allow local authorities to carry out such schemes or (b) make available a list of contractors who would carry out the schemes.
Apart from isolated cases, there is no general difficulty in getting contractors to tender for group water supply schemes. I do not propose, therefore, to ask local authorities to carry out such works. A list of suitable contractors is available in my Department and is furnished to groups as required.
Is the Minister aware that a number of schemes in County Meath have been sent around to contractors; that none of them has opted to tender for the schemes; that, as a result, several schemes have been held up for quite a long time and that contractors who started schemes did not finish them? In view of that, will the Minister reconsider the answer he has just given?
As far as I am aware, any such cases of difficulty that have arisen were solved with the assistance of the Department's inspector.
The Minister should talk to the Department's inspector again because I can give him at least two recent cases where the inspector has done nothing.
I am aware that there is a limit to the capacity of the industry.
Is the Minister aware that nobody at all has tendered for a number of these schemes?
According to Deputy Tully, some time ago, there was no work at all being done under this scheme.
Because of the fact that contractors will not even tender for them, there is no work being done. The Minister should not tell untruths in the House.
If contractors have not got work, they will tender for them.
The contractors are not there. They just do not seem to exist.
They do exist, and my Department has always been in a position to give suitable contractors to groups.
The Minister's contractors have told the group committees that they have nobody and cannot give them anybody. The Minister should check with his Department an odd time.
I have checked.
Is the Minister aware that the financial crisis of two or three years ago has driven contractors out of the country and that they are not there now to tender?
I gave a list of works being done under this scheme.
As a result of the financial crisis of 1965-66, the Minister has the contractors shipped over to England.
If necessary, I can repeat the information given as to the extent of this work.
They have packed their bags and have left Ireland.
36.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has received proposals from Kerry County Council to extend the Barraduff water supply scheme towards Carrigeen and to erect a reservoir at Carrigeen to enable three group schemes to serve 110 households to be undertaken; and, if so, what is the present position in relation to these proposals.
There are no proposals before my Department to extend the Barraduff water supply scheme towards Carrigeen. However, I am informed by Kerry County Council that they are at present preparing preliminary proposals for such a scheme.
37.
asked the Minister for Local Government the present position relating to the proposed public water supply scheme to serve the area from Reen Cross, Kenmare, to Cappanacuss Cross, Templenoe, County Kerry.
A decision on the scheme referred to must await the outcome of the review of water and sewerage schemes which is being carried out by sanitary authorities generally throughout the country.
38.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give details of proposals for water and sewerage schemes received by his Department from Macroom Urban Council; and when work will commence on these schemes.
An application from Macroom Urban Council for sanction to the appointment of a consulting engineer to prepare a preliminary report for a sewerage scheme for their area is at present under consideration in my Department, as is also a revised proposal for a water supply scheme for the Coolyhane, Ballyverane and Tinker's Hill areas.
I am not in a position to say when a decision on these proposals is likely to issue.
39.
asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the tender for Dunkineely sewerage scheme, County Donegal.
There are no tenders before my Department for a sewerage scheme for Dunkineely.