asked the Minister for Transport and Power if the tender accepted for mechanical services in respect of Cork Airport was the lowest received.
12.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Airport: Tender for Mechanical Services.
11.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power the procedure adopted for considering tenders for mechanical services for Cork Airport; and by whom such tenders were examined and decided upon.
I propose, with the permission of An Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions 11 and 12 together.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the installations for heating, hot and cold water at the Airport; tenders for the other mechanical services have not yet been accepted.
Tenders were invited by my Department and were considered on their merits. The procedure in sub-contract cases is that after examination a selected tender is approved and recommended to the main contractor for acceptance. The actual placing of the sub-contract is a function of the main contractor who normally accepts the tender approved by my Department. The approved tender was accepted in this case.
It would be contrary to established practice to disclose particulars of tenders received.
Would the Minister indicate why he says the established practice is not to give the information sought in this Question as to whether the tender accepted was or was not the lowest tender received?
That has been the official practice for many years.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I should like to query the Minister further on that. I can see, perhaps, objections to the Minister being asked why the lowest tender was not accepted. But surely it is within the ordinary practice to inquire whether the tender accepted was or was not the lowest tender? That is merely the information sought in this Question. Certainly, I believe that such information has frequently been given previously to similar Questions.
My Department, in regard to these classes of tender, is merely following on the precedent that has been created. We are not obliged to accept the lowest tender. That is the position.
Does this tender fall in the category of tender usually dealt with by the Contracts Committee set up by the Government?
In reply to the Deputy, the sub-contract to a main contract does not go before the Government Contracts Committee.
The main contract does?
The main contract does.