asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state the original estimated cost submitted to the Laoighis County Board of Health by their consulting engineer for the provision of a water supply scheme for the town of Mountrath, Co. Leix; the price submitted by the contractor who carried out the work; the actual cost incurred to date and what would be the additional charge, if any, to the ratepayers in the dispensary area; whether his Department was requested by the Board of Health to send down an Inspector for the purpose of deciding whether the additional cost was properly authorised and incurred and if he can now state what action he proposes to take in this case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mountrath Water Supply Scheme.
(1) The original estimate of cost submitted was £8,793 10s. 3d.
(2) The information at my disposal shows that a contract for £6,952 11s. 1d. was entered into.
(3) The extras on this work amounted to £1,118 14s. 3d., bringing the expenditure up to £8,071 5s. 4d., apart from engineer's fees, salary of clerk of works, legal expenses and expenditure incurred on acquisition of land.
(4) An inspection of the works following upon a request by the Board of Health showed that the extra works carried out were necessary.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that owing to the lack of competent engineering supervision, the extras in this case wipe out the benefit of the £2,000 grant?
The extras were necessary as the supplies were from a mountain source and because of the fact that the original six-inch pipe was enlarged to a nine-inch pipe in the concrete wall. That was a necessary extra that was not anticipated.