Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Nov 1994

Vol. 446 No. 7

Written Answers. - Consultancy Report Fee.

Phil Hogan

Question:

175 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the amount paid by his Department to a Scottish company (details supplied) in respect of a consultancy report submitted in April 1993, assessing a planning application environmental impact statement from a company (details supplied) which was applying for planning permission to Kilkenny County Council; whether he had satisfied himself with this report; whether the Scottish company had completed previous or subsequent work for his Department; the nature of this work; and the fees involved. [2952/94]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Cowen)

The fee charged by RPS Cairns Limited for their consultancy report submitted to my Department in April, 1993 which assessed aspects of the Environmental Impact Statement prepared by Arcon Mines Limited was £39,463 Sterling.

My Department was satisfied with the report of RPS Cairns in this matter which dealt comprehensively with the major environmental mining issues involved in Arcon's application to Kilkenny County Council concerning that company's proposed development of the zinc-lead deposit near Galmoy, County Kilkenny.

RPS Cairns had previously completed two earlier consultancy works for my Department in connection with Arcon's proposal to develop this deposit: (a) the provision of assistance and advice on scoping studies undertaken by Arcon throughout the latter half of 1992 in preparation for the making by Arcon of their planning application to Kilkenny County Council in December 1992 and (b) the assessment of the initial planning application and Environmental Impact Statement submitted by Arcon (formerly Conroy Mines Limited) to Kilkenny County Council in December 1990. The fees charged by RPS Cairns for these two earlier works were £11,145 Sterling and £72,110 Sterling respectively.

RPS Cairns also completed two subsequent items of consultancy work on behalf of my Department one of which was in connection with Arcon's proposal to develop the Galmoy mine namely advice and assistance in connection with my Department's participation in the Public Oral Hearing which was conducted by An Bord Pleanála in October 1993. RPS Cairn's fee for this work was £32,207 Sterling. More recently, RPS Cairns in association with Enviroplan Services Ltd. undertook a review of environmental costs in the mining industry for the National Minerals Policy Review Group which was established earlier this year. The fee for this review was £1,682 Sterling.

Arcon have paid the Department a fee of £150,000 in respect of their application for a State mining licence.