IT is a poor reflection on the local authority when it has to pay out €2,000 in consultancy fees for a design to repair Ballysteen flood embankment while there are senior engineers in-house who are perfectly capable of doing the job.
This was the view expressed by Fianna Fail councillor Kevin Sheahan at this month’s Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District meeting on learning that the job was being farmed out to consultants.
“We have very efficient engineers at the council. The system should be beheaded so a new head can grow.
“The whole country is damned with regulation,” Cllr Sheahan fumed.
According to Limerick City and County Council, it is currently assessing three quotations from suitable consultants for the design and preparation of the scope of works and specification, along with a costing appraisal.
The local authority intends to engage the most economically advantageous consultant this month. A quote of just over €2,000 was given to councillors for the design stage of the flood embankment works.
Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary told the council executive that he would have expected the works to be done in-house.
Senior engineer Thomas Kelly explained to council members that it was never envisaged that in-house services would do this work.
by Alan Jacques
