asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the country in which the material currently used in the making of mail bags was manufactured.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mail Bag Material.
48.
Irish manufactured canvases are at present being used in the production of letter bags for the internal postal service, and canvases manufactured in Scotland are being used in the production of parcel bags for both the internal and foreign services. Airmail bags are being produced from Irish-made nylon material.
Is the Minister aware that if his Department had purchased Irish materials for the manufacture of mail bags for several years, a certain company which was mentioned in this House recently would not have had to close down?
I am not so aware.
Is the Minister aware that the Scottish firm that got the order for the last lot was only slightly lower in price than a firm in Balbriggan and a county Dublin firm which has supplied the Department for many years? Will he explain how it is that this firm, which in addition to Greenmount and Boyne—let us not be afraid to name it—could have done with this order, did not get it?
I do not intend to go into the details of tendering in the House. It has never been done and it would not be correct to do it. I can assure Deputies that many other factors besides price have to be taken into account. These bags are used for different purposes, for parcels, for letters, for airmail and so on, and quality may well be as important as price.
Somebody must be codding the Minister. Is he not aware that tenders were invited for that particular type of bag and tenders were received from the Greenmount and Boyne and the Balbriggan companies and is he not aware that his Department decided to buy from the Scottish firm, quite a substantial amount, literally thousands of pounds worth? Would he not see that this does not happen again? This may not have happened in his time but in that of his predecessor.
While the present system of tendering prevails, and I have not had many representations asking me to change it, we are compelled to do what we are doing.
(Interruptions.)
Will the levy make any difference?