Vol. 489 No. 2
133 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether contracts or extension of contracts, which might fall within the criteria for public advertisement and tender as required by EU or national legislation, were awarded by his Department or bodies or agencies under the aegis of his Department without advertisement for public tender in the past seven years ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7762/98]
Under normal procedures all Government procurement contracts are awarded following competitive tendering. The award of contracts is also subject to EU legislation in relation to the tendering process to be used.
In certain circumstances it is possible for contracts to be awarded without public tendering with the approval of the Government contracts committee.
A number of contracts and extensions of contracts have been awarded by the Department over the past seven years without recourse to public tendering. These include contracts or extensions of contracts where there was effectively only one suitable supplier available or where, for reasons of extreme urgency it was necessary to avail of the exemptions which are provided for in the EU legislation.
In relation to the agencies under the aegis of the Department it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information requested by the Deputy but I will write to him on the matter.
134 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands whether contracts or extension of contracts, which might fall within the criteria for public advertisement and tender as required by EU or national legislation, were awarded by her Department or bodies or agencies under the aegis of her Department without advertisement for public tender in the past seven years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7763/98]
The only such contract awarded by my Department was that for the transport of passengers and goods between Galway and the Aran Islands.
On legal advice, this contract, which was awarded in November 1997, was not advertised for public tender because of a provision in the previous contract for the service in question obliging my Department to offer a further contract to the operator of the service.
As regards contracts awarded by bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department, the placing of such contracts is the responsibility of the bodies concerned.
