Consultants paid over €2 million for Lough Derg abstraction report

OVER €2 million was spent on consultants to produce a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) concerning Dublin City Council’s (DCC) proposed water extraction of an estimated 500 million litres daily from Lough Derg in 2020.

The Clare Champion can reveal RPS Consulting Engineers were paid €2,040,861 by DCC to prepare the SEA for the Greater Dublin Water Supply Strategy Study.

In reply to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, DCC confirmed RPS’ scope of work between 2009 and 2012 included the preparation of a preliminary report, strategic environment assessment, appropriate assessment and stakeholder and public consultation.

DCC also stated no payments were paid to legal advisors for the four-year period in respect of the SEA.
The authority was also asked the amount of money allocated by the Department of the Environment to carry out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and planning phase concerning the water extraction from Lough Derg, which has to be prepared for An Bord Pleanála.

However, it refused to disclose any information about the EIA, planning phase or to provide the shortlist of consultants who have been invited to submit tenders for the compilation of the EIA or EIS.

“Tender documents have been issued to pre-qualified consultants. It is anticipated that, following competitive tendering, the successful consultant will be appointed in the third quarter of 2013.

“Following the award of contract to the successful tenderer, DCC will be happy to provide information in relation to the costs and financing of this stage of the project,” the authority stated.

Shannon Protection Alliance chairman, Gerry Siney, claimed the expenditure on the entire project was a “waste of money”, particularly in light of recent claims from MEP Jim Higgins that this water abstraction may leave Ireland open to a legal challenge following a recent European Court of Justice ruling.

Mr Higgins revealed the European Court of Justice recently ruled that Greece was in breach of EU law in its failure to protect Lake Koroneia, which is very similar to Lough Derg.

In spite of spending over €2m, Mr Siney stated the SEA is only a starting point, as the entire project is still at an early stage. He said the group was reliably informed that it could cost between €1m and €9m to carry out the EIA and planning phase.

Even if the project is approved at the end of the EIA process by An Bord Pleanála, he warned DCC would be spending €500m on water abstraction from the lake.

However, DCC considers the costs of the production of the SEA as “good value for money”.

“RPS were appointed by DCC following an open competitive tender process in accordance with national and EU Procurement Regulations. Large sections of the completed SEA work-scope, in respect of potential new source options, for example, modelling studies, technical and environmental assessments and stakeholder consultations, are of ongoing benefit to the next phase of the project, the environmental impact assessment and planning phase and are anticipated to result in lower costs for undertaking this phase,” explained a DCC spokesman.

Jean Hobbs of RPS said the consulting engineers were appointed to the project following a public procurement process.

“The company does not comment on any aspect of our contractual arrangements. RPS Group plc asserts our good name and reputation and that of our staff,” she stated.