Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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77. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date on which the contractor on the Bray flood relief scheme (details supplied) referred the dispute, which has resulted in substantial delays in the project, to formal third party conciliation; the dates on which the parties to the dispute formally agreed to extend the ambit of the conciliation process; if the said conciliation process is expected to conclude prior to the end of 2013, bearing in mind the increased flood risk during this winter season and the fact that a portion of the work which remains outstanding is not subject to seasonal constraints. [48604/13]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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On 20 May 2013 the contractor in question issued a notice of Referral to Conciliation under the contract to Bray Town Council, as the Contracting Authority for the project. A related item in dispute was formally added to the conciliation process on 24 July 2013, by agreement between the contractor and the Council. In the course of subsequent negotiations, the parties agreed to extend the ambit of the conciliation to include other issues. The conciliation process is ongoing, but it is expected that it will be concluded shortly. The Deputy will be aware that the contractor formally entered examinership on 7th November 2013. Bray Town Council, in consultation with the Office of Public Works (OPW) as funding body, is considering the implications of this development for carrying out the remaining elements of the works, in conjunction with the Council's legal advisers.

I would like to assure the Deputy that Bray Town Council and the OPW remain committed to completing the Bray scheme in the shortest possible timeframe. I can confirm that the OPW has made provision for the scheme in its expenditure profiles for each of the years to 2016. While the delay in completing the scheme is regrettable, it should be noted that the works completed to date have considerably reduced the flood risk in the area.