asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of the last three years the names of outside consulting structural engineers engaged for the Office of Public Works; whether there is a panel of structural engineer consultants; and, if so, how that panel is complied.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers. - Structural Engineer Consultants.
26.
The names of the outside consulting structural engineers engaged for the Office of Public Works in the three years from 1st November, 1967, are as follows: Mr. J.B. Barry, Mr. C.H. Clifton, Messrs. Delap & Waller, Messrs. Thos. Garland & Partners, Sir Hugh Molony, Messrs. O'Connell & Harley, Mr. D. O'Leary, Messrs. Ove Arup & Partners, Messrs. Rooney & McLoughlin, Professor L. F. Stephens, Mr. Malachy Walsh.
As a result of a press advertisement in September, 1969 applications were received from 46 structural engineers for inclusion in a panel which will be drawn on from time to time as found necessary.
Who is the person who chooses the engineer? Is it the Parliamentary Secretary or the head of the office?
The technical section of my office make recommendations. It is the practice of the Office of Public Works to spread the commissions over as many consultants as possible. Most of the structural engineering work is done by our own staff. It may be that some of these 46 people now on the panel will never get any work from us.
Does each individual get a turn or are they selected on the basis of the total amount they get in the year? In other words, if one person gets £20,000 worth of work and another gets £10 worth which is selected?
If someone got £20,000 worth this year and another got only £1 worth the man who got the £1 worth would get the next contract.
It is nice to hear that, but I do not believe it.
I should like to assure the House that I am very strict in my application of the principle that this work should be spread over as many as possible.