asked the Minister for Local Government the extent to which Irish firms have participated under Directives 71/304 and 71/305 in tendering for public works contracts within the EEC.
50.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Works Contracts.
49.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give details concerning the number of Irish public works contracts which have been advertised in the European Community, as required by EEC regulations; the kind of journals in which such contracts have been advertised and the cost involved; whether any tenders from outside the country have been received by the Irish Government; and whether any such tenders have been accepted by the appropriate Departments or State agencies.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together. Details are not available in my Department of the extent to which Irish firms have participated in tendering for public works contracts in other member states of the European Communities in accordance with Directives 71/304 and 71/305.
Twenty-three of this country's public works contracts have been advertised to date in accordance with these directives in the Official Journal of the European Communities. The cost of advertising in the Official Journal is met by the Community and is not known to me.
Information is not yet available in my Department about the total number of contractors from outside the State who tendered in reply to these notices. The only contracts awarded to contractors from outside this State in reply to these advertisements in the Official Journal were three contracts for housing schemes which were forwarded to contractors from Northern Ireland.
Would the Minister agree in future to have statistics on these matters available to Members of this House?
Deputy Lemass will agree that it will be difficult to get these statistics but I will see what I can do.