Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Jan 1972

Vol. 258 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental and Semi-State Bodies Reports.

24.

Dr. O'Connell

asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give details of commissions at present set up under the aegis of his Department; the purpose of each commission; the cost to date; and when its report will be available.

Mr. B. Lenihan

There are no commissions in existence under the aegis of my Department at the present time. There are, however, a number of formal and informal committees in existence. Details of these were given in reply to a Dáil question by the Deputy on 29th June, 1971. Since that date, I have appointed a committee to investigate the efficiency of the Electricity Supply Board's operations. The cost of the committee to date is not available. It is expected that the report will be completed at the end of March, 1972.

25.

Dr. O'Connell

asked the Minister for Transport and Power what reports were commissioned by his Department and semi-State bodies under the control of his Department in each of the past ten years; what reports were published; the total cost of those reports and in what cases the findings were implemented.

Mr. B. Lenihan

The reply in so far as my Department is concerned is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

It is normal practice for the State-sponsored bodies under the aegis of my Department to commission reports from time to time to assist the management in the solution of particular problems. The commissioning of such reports, the costs involved and other particulars are matters for the body concerned and the information sought by the Deputy is not available in my Department.

Following is the statement:—

REPORTS COMMISSIONED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT AND POWER SINCE 1961.

Year	Report	Conducted by	Whether Published	Cost
1961	Investigation of Arigna Coal.	Merz & McLellan, London.	Not published	£2,794
1962	Report on the mining of Arigna Crow Coals for the generation of electricity.	Professor Velzeboer, Technological University, Delft, Holland.	Not published	£686
1962	Study of problems connected with the airport passenger service charge.	Institut de Transport Aérien, Paris.	Published	As the Department is a member of the Institute and pays an annual subscription, the study was conducted free of charge.
1963	An experimental extraction of Arigna Crow Coal made at the request of the Department.	Arigna Collieries Ltd., Co. Roscommon.	Not published	£5,880
1963	Survey of architectural and engineering maintenance organisation at Shannon Airport.	Production Engineering Ltd., Dublin.	Not published	£2,835
1963	Pilot Survey on the use of Transport in the Leather, Footwear and Tanning Industries.	Associated Industrial Consultants Ltd., DublinandProduction Engineering Ltd., Dublin.	Not published	£3,343.20 (This figure includes a sum of £934.50 in respect of preliminary surveys which were carried out by Production Engineering Ltd. and Associated Industrial Consultants Ltd. The latter were chosen to carry out the main survey which they did at a cost of £2,408.70.)
1964	Supplementary report on investigation of Arigna Coal.	Merz & McLellan, London.	Not published	£1,226
1964	Upgrading Anthracite Duff	Dr. Albert Parker, 5 Wellesley Avenue, Northwood, Middlesex, England.	Not published	£1,282
1964	Survey to quantify the causes of delay in the movement of goods through Dublin Port.	Associated Industrial Consultants Ltd., Dublin.	Published	£1,984.50
1965	Marketing of Irish-mined Anthracite.	Associated Industrial Consultants Ltd., Dublin.	Not published	£1,450
1965	Commission of Inquiry into Public Holidays and Bank Holidays, 1965.	Commission appointed by the Minister for Transport and Power.	Published	£467
1966	Nil.	——	——	——
1967	Survey on skidding resistance of airport runway surfaces.	British Ministry of Transport Road Research Laboratory.	Not published	£429
1967	Aerial Survey of Approach Runway O6, Dublin Airport.	BKS Consultative Technical Services Ltd., Balgriffin House, Balgriffin, Raheny, Dublin 5.	Not published	£590
1967	Contour survey of area in vicinity of Dublin Airport.	BKS Consultative Technical Services Ltd., Dublin.	Not published	£3,000
1968	Briquetting of Anthracite Duff.	Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, Dublin.	Not published	£500
1968	Survey of noise levels at Dublin Airport over a period of one year and at Shannon Airport on 4 specific days in May, 1968.	Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, Dublin.	Not published	£1,550
1969	Report on internal roads at Dublin Air port (short and long-term reports).	Messrs. McCarthy & Partners, Balgriffin House, Balgriffin, Raheny, Dublin 5.	Not published	Short-term £1,800Long-term £5,000(£6,101 has been expended to date).
1969	Aerial survey at Turnapin Little, Dublin Airport.	BKS Consultative Technical Services Ltd., Dublin.	Not published	£289
1969	Study of road re-location and diversion problems arising from proposed extensions to Dublin Airport.	Messrs. McCarthy & Partners, Dublin.	Not published	£3,992
1970	Aerial Survey of NE approach runway 24 at Shannon Airport and mosaic of Terminal Area.	BKS Consultative Technical Services Ltd., Dublin.	Not published.	£1,380
1970	Report on traffic management at Shannon Airport (short and long-term reports).	Messrs. McCarthy & Partners Dublin.	Not published.	£5,100(£1,588 has been expen to date).
1970	Report on the growth of Dublin Airport and the likely noise consequences which might result from such growth.	Loughborough Consultants Ltd., University of Technology, Loughborough, Leicestershire.	Not published.	£720(to date)
1970	Study to assist the development of a National policy for the provision of crossChannel freight services.	McKinsey & Co., Inc.	Not published.	£27,835
1970	Study to assist the Committee which was set up to investigate the deterioration in the financial position of CIE and to identify possible corrective measures.	McKinsey & Co., Inc.	Not published.	£61,000
1971	Committee to investigate the efficiency of the operations of the ESB.	Committee appointed by Minister for Transport and Power.	Report nt completed.	Not yet available.

NOTE:

Most of the reports mentioned in the Table were commissioned for the purpose of eliciting data and information on various problems under consideration in the Department. In many cases the reports were not intended to provide specific recommendations and accordingly the question of formal implementation did not arise.

As regards the two major reports completed in recent years the position is that the recommendations in the report on the cross-Channel freight services are in the process of implementation and the recommendations in the report on the financial position of CIE are at present the subject of consultation with the interests concerned.