Vol. 481 No. 7
197 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health and Children the financial limits which apply to the obligation to advertise at European level for the manufacture and supply of dentures to health boards in this country; if the cost of returning defective dentures to Britain or elsewhere is factored into the decision to accept a tender from outside of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17198/97]
Any supplies contract such as a contract for manufacture and supply of dentures placed by a Public Contracting Authority which is over the EU Directive 93/36 limit, currently £160,564 net of VAT, must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
The contracts for the manufacture and supply of dentures placed by health boards are awarded on the basis of the economically most advantageous tender having regard to price, quality, turn-around time, infection control measures, clinical acceptability, after-sales services, delivery-collection costs, technical and performance standards and any other criteria necessary to ensure that the best value for money is achieved, as specified in the tender documents.
There is no cost associated with returning dentures to the UK. The contractor collects and delivers all items relating to the contract as part of the price tendered.
