|
|
|
|
APPENDIX 3Mr P Mullarkey Secretary Department of Finance Government Buildings Merrion Street Dublin 2 13 June 1996 RE: VFM Report - Regional Development Measures Dear Mr Mullarkey I am directed by the Chairman, Mr Denis Foley, T.D., to refer to a recent meeting of the Committee at which the above report was considered. During that meeting you undertook to provide a note for the Committee in relation to port development, particularly in relation to Dun Laoghaire, where significant development has been carried out in recent years. The Committee would also be interested to ascertain whether EU funds were availed of in relation to this particular project. The Committee would be grateful if the information could be provided before 4 July 1996. Yours sincerely
Clíona O Rourke Clerk to the Committee Chairman: Mr Denis Foley T.D.
31 August 1996 Ms Cliona O’Rourke Clerk to the Committee Committee of Public Accounts Leinster House Dublin 2 Re: VFM Report - Regional Development Measure Dear Ms O’Rourke I refer to your letter of 13 June 1996 seeking a note on port development, particularly in relation to Dun Laoghaire. Material has now come to hand from the Department of the Marine and a note on developments at Dun Laoghaire is attached. The delay in replying which is due to the intervening leave season is regretted. Yours sincerely
P H Mullarkey Secretary LH112 Port Development at Dun Laoghaire The upgrading of the ferry terminal at Dun Laoghaire was undertaken to provide modern berthage and passenger handling facilities matching those at Holyhead to cater for conventional ferries, highspeed ferries and the Stena Line HSS, the world’s first multipurpose highspeed ferry which commenced operation on 10 April 1996. The new vessel, the first in its class to be put into service, was designed specifically with the Irish Sea state in mind. The vessel can accommodate up to 375 cars or 50 freight units and 100 cars and 1500 passengers on up to 10 crossings per day taking only 1hr 40mins for a journey previously accomplished in 3hrs 30mins by conventional ferry. Naturally teething problems were experienced in the early days of service but the operators now report up to 99% achievement of scheduled services pointing to 242 sailings in the month of June carrying 10% more cars and 16% more passengers than in 1995. The travelling public’s reaction to the service has been very favourable. A second vessel was introduced on the Belfast to Stranraer route on 20 July 1996 and Stena Line have orders for 3 further vessels which will be filled within the next 12 months. The Minister for the Marine is confident that this service will significantly enhance sea access to and from Ireland via Dublin Bay. The project is funded by commercial borrowings by the harbour authority and 40% grant aid from the European Regional Development Fund. A condition of the grant aid was that the benefits would be passed on directly to the end user via mechanisms agreed with the EU Commission. Mr Niall Callan Assistant Secretary Department of the Environment Custom House Dublin 1 13 June 1996 RE: VFM Report - Regional Development Measures Dear Mr Callan I am directed by the Chairman, Mr Denis Foley, T.D., to refer to a recent meeting of the Committee at which the above report was considered. During that meeting Chapter 7, in relation to Water and Sanitary Services, was discussed and you undertook to provide a note for the Committee in relation to the outstanding final accounts that were referred to in paragraph 7.38 of the report. The Committee would be grateful if the note could be provided before 4 July 1996. Yours sincerely
Clíona O Rourke Clerk to the Committee
18 June 1996 Ms. Cliona O’Rourke Clerk to Public Account Committee Kildare House Dublin 2 Dear Ms. O’Rourke I refer to your letter of 14 June arising from last week’s PAC hearing on the VFM report, on Regional Development. During that hearing, I promised Deputy P. Hogan a note on the situation regarding final accounts outstanding from two sanitary services contracts, as referred to in paragraph 7.36 of the report. As I intimated, both sets of final accounts for these (separate) mechanical/ electrical contracts, which were part of the Bailieborough Sewerage Scheme, have now been received in this Department. One of the contracts shows an outturn of £215,214 as against an original estimate of £217,980. The other contract has an outturn cost of £22,080 compared to an estimate of £27,170. I would like also to confirm that it is the administrative policy of the Department to seek final accounts in relation to all sanitary services contracts, including those which come in under cost. Yours sincerely.
Niall Callan Assistant Secretary |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
