Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 6

Written Answers. - Economic Infrastructural Operational Programme.

Seamus Brennan

Ceist:

28 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the reason only 9 per cent of the Economic Infrastructural Operational Programme has been spent in spite of the fact that the mid-term review is due shortly; and the reason it was necessary to run two competitions for consultants in relation to the new peat station project. [19562/96]

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

The extent of expenditure to date under the Operational Programme for Economic Infrastructure 1994-1999, is one of the issues which is being examined at present by Indecon Economic Consultants, who have been appointed to assist the mid-term review of this particular Operational Programme. The consultants' report is expected before the end of the year and it will be considered by a special meeting of the Economic Infrastructure Monitoring Committee in mid January 1997.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific reasons for the underspending under the operational programme until the mid-term review has been completed by the monitoring committee.

With regard to the competitions for the consultants on the peat fired station project, the Deputy will be aware that it was originally intended that the ESB would run the competition for a new peat power station. On this basis, a firm of consultants, Combustion Systems Inc., were selected by competitive tender and were engaged to provide me with technical advice, in order that I might be assured with regard to the technical specification which the ESB proposed for the competition.

Earlier this year, acting on legal advice, I decided that the competition for the peat station should be conducted by an independent panel of consultants, rather than by the ESB. This assignment was a far more complex and onerous one, which required a much broader range of skills. Following a selection process in accordance with EU procurement rules, the consortium which was selected for this task comprises — Stone and Webster Management Consultants (Consulting Engineers, USA and UK) — Matheson Ormsby Prentice (Solicitors, Dublin) — Allen and Overy (Solicitors, London) — NCB Corporate Finance Ltd. (Financiers, Dublin) — Nat West Markets (Financiers, London).

They were appointed earlier this month, and have commenced work.

The EU Procurement Rules did not apply to the much smaller Combustion Systems Inc., contract.