asked the Minister for the Environment the reason for the present delay in the construction of the Dunleer by-pass, County Louth; the present position and when it is expected that this much needed work will go to tender; the moneys which have been secured from EC funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dunleer (Louth) By-Pass.
505.
On 30 September 1986 my predecessor announced that four major improvement projects (including the Dunleer by-pass) would be carried out on a fixed price design/construct basis. This procedure had not previously been used for road works in Ireland.
A motorway order for the Dunleer scheme was confirmed in August 1986. In December last, Louth County Council invited submissions from interested parties by 23 January, 1987 for inclusion on a panel from which tenders would be invited.
Following consultations with interested parties in the building industry, it became clear that they had certain reservations about the new procedure which would necessitate major revisions to the standard conditions of contract currently in use.
My Department is at present completing a report on the use of the design/construct system of contract to enable me to decide whether to proceed with its introduction for road works. There will be no avoidable delay in reaching a decision on this issue.
Subject to that decision, I expect the local authority to be in a position to seek tenders for the scheme by the early part of 1988. A road grant of £500,000 has been provided in the current year to enable the local authority to proceed with land acquisition and other preparatory work. In December 1986 the EC approved a special transport infrastructure grant of 4 million ECUs towards the cost of the project, 1.6 million ECUs of which was received in January 1987.