asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the delay in paying a sum of money due by the Office of Public Works in respect of works carried out between the years 1972 and 1983 (details supplied).
Written Answers. - OPW Payments.
492.
There has been generally no undue delay in the payment of moneys falling due in the normal way on foot of the contracts referred to in the question. In the case of two of the contracts, however, substantial sums are being withheld from the contractor in question here until defective work carried out under sub-contracts has been put right. The Commissioners of Public Works will be prepared to release the moneys withheld when the necessary remedial works have been completed to their satisfaction.
Apart from these two contracts the contractor in question completed three other contracts in respect of which minor balances (equivalent to approximately 1 per cent of the value of the final accounts) are outstanding. These will be cleared when the accounts have been processed.