I have given permission to Deputy Bruton to raise the matter of the delay on the part of the Government in the provision of new offices at Kells Road, Navan, County Meath.
Adjournment Debate. - Meath Government Offices.
I am raising the question of the delay by the Government in providing the new Government Offices on the Kells Road, Navan, for 70 officials. This building was supposed to have started in 1979 and has not yet been started.
On 27 February 1979 the then Minister for Finance, Deputy Colley, was asked about future schemes for the reduction of unemployment in County Meath. He replied, at column 190 of the Official Report that as far as the Office of Public Works were concerned the following employment-giving projects in County Meath were in progress or were likely to start in 1979 and at the top of the list, the very top, was the erection of a new Government office in Navan. That was February 1979. At the top of the list was the erection of the Government office as something which would start in 1979, if it had not already commenced at the time the question was asked.
On Thursday, 12 February two years later, 1981, I asked the Minister for Finance what had happened about the Government offices on Kells Road, Navan. He told me that the tenders for the erection of this new office were still being examined—two years later— even though it had been the clear intention of Deputy Colley, as Minister for Finance, that the project should have started in 1979. It has not even started yet and we are well advanced into 1981. Indeed, there is considerable need to get this project started for two reasons. The rate of unemployment in Meath is something which is giving concern to all those who represent the county. Unemployment in Meath rose in the last 12 month period for which figures are available by 47 per cent, as against a national average increase in unemployment over the same 12 month period for the county as a whole of 34 per cent. The rate of increase in unemployment is well above the national average in county Meath and therefore any employment-giving project is urgently needed.
One of the builders whose tender is being examined — and I have reason to believe that it is the lowest tender — has told me that unless he can get some action from the Office of Public Works in respect of this and a number of other smaller projects for which he has tendered and intimation from that office that his tender has been accepted, he faces the prospect of having to lay off 30 or 40 of his workers. I am speaking now of a well-established building firm in county Meath, with wide experience of civil projects of this sort, not someone whose tender might perhaps be suspect and worthy of more careful scrutiny than others because he is a new builder with whom one has not had much experience. This builder has been involved in this type of work over a long number of years and there is no reason, to my mind or his, why his tender — if it is the lowest — should not be accepted. Yet we have a situation where seemingly no progress has been made in dealing with this matter. It was intended, when I asked about this matter in 1980, that the tenders would have been dealt with before the end of that year. It is now 1981 and nothing has happened. It was originally intended that the work would start in 1979. In view of the high unemployment and the particular difficulties of one of the builders who is likely to be involved in the decision in this matter, I am using the facility of raising the matter on the Adjournment with a view to getting the Minister of State to direct the Office of Public Works to make an immediate decision on the tenders in this case and get the work started next month. I hope that the Minister will be able to give that good news in his reply. If he does not, after two years, I shall be very disappointed.
The Office of Public Works have proposals to build new centralised Government offices at Kells Road, Navan, County Meath. Protracted consultation with the local authority became necessary during the planning of the project and a number of site problems had to be resolved. The problems encountered related to road zoning and to the sewage disposal system for the new building. These problems were not resolved until September 1979 and contract documents had then to be prepared. Tenders were invited in July 1980, returnable on 4 September 1980.
Fifteen tenders were received and consideration of them has been protracted, as a number of problems were encountered. It is expected that a tender will be accepted within the next few weeks.
The Departments to be housed and the present staff numbers involved are as follows: The Department of Agriculture, comprising the district veterinary office, land project office, land commission office and headage scheme office; the Department of Justice (Welfare Service); the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of the Environment, totalling 81.
A total floor area of 1,800 square metres will be provided in this scheme.
At present the staff in Navan are accommodated in rented premises as follows:
Land project office at 48 Trimgate Street.
Land Commission at 31 Brews Hill.
Justice (Welfare Service) at Commons Road.
Accommodated in pre-fabs on the site are staffs of the district veterinary office and the Department of Social Welfare.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.10 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 24 February 1981.