Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Jun 1999

Vol. 507 No. 1

Written Answers. - Waste Disposal.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

63 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health and Children the circumstances leading to the publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 10 May 1996 of a tender on behalf of the Joint Waste Management Board acting on behalf of his Department and the Northern Irish Department of Health and Social Services for the transport, treatment and disposal of healthcare risk and clinical waste; the way in which it was envisaged that the successful contractor shall be required to enter into subsidiary contracts with health boards and publicly funded hospitals throughout the island of Ireland in view of the fact these boards and hospitals are separate legal entities with their own powers to enter into their own contracts for clinical waste disposal; his views on whether the market for clinical waste disposal was effectively stifled by the submission of a tender for one principal agreement to which subsidiary contracts would be attached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16166/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The seeking of tenders for the provision of the service of collection, transport, treatment and dis posal of clinical-healthcare risk waste throughout the island of Ireland was a central purchasing, value for money initiative. It is one of a number of such initiatives sponsored by my Department in the purchasing area in the interest of achieving economy in the expenditure of public funds.

I am satisfied that the market for clinical waste disposal was not stifled in any way by the tender process carried out. It should be noted that all waste contractors had the opportunity to respond to the publication of the tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities and in the national press. In recent weeks I have received correspondence from a firm of solicitors in relation to this tender. A detailed legal response is in course of preparation and, therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the issues at this stage.