THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment has told a south Dublin local authority to re-examine its decision to reject a tender for vital flood works because the quotation was too low.
The Carysfort Maretimo stream, which runs through Stillorgan and Blackrock, has caused flooding a number of times in the last 10 years. Homes and businesses were particularly affected during flooding in summer 2009 and 2007.
Local residents have also come under pressure when attempting to renew home insurance because of the risk of flooding.
Flood prevention works for the stream have been listed for funding in the Department of the Environment’s water services investment programme as far back as 2002, but so far have not been undertaken.
The works were again included in the 2010-2012 programme with an estimated cost of €5.9 million.
Tenders for the flood works were submitted to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in January, but no bidder has yet been selected. The lowest bid, from civil engineers Wills Bros Ltd, was rejected by the council on the basis that it was “abnormally low”.
The company appealed the decision to the Department of the Environment. The department wrote to the local authority at the end of last month saying its decision to reject the tender was “not well-founded”.
It said the council had not demonstrated the tender was “abnormally low” and it should have given the contractor an opportunity to adjust the rates.
Frank Austin, director of water and waste services at Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said he was “actively working with the tenderer in an effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible”.
