As indicated in reply to Question No. 129 of 31 January 2001, the contract between my Department and the National Car Testing Service Limited runs until the end of the year 2009. My Department is assisted in supervising the operations of NCTS by a consortium led by PricewaterhouseCoopers which monitors and reports on the implementation of the contract on an ongoing basis. My Department has recently received the relevant annual report from the contract supervisors for the year 2000 and a copy, excluding certain commercially confidential information, has been placed in the Oireachtas Library. The report covers all aspects of NCTS operations, including operational audits, sample test inspections, customer satisfaction surveys, customer complaints and resolution, performance management, quality accreditation and a financial review.
An appropriate transfer of commercial risk is seen as an integral part of the Government's public private partnership approach to the delivery of certain public services. In the case of the national car testing service, industrial relations matters constitute a fundamental element of the risk transfer to the company. As such, industrial relations are a day-to-day management responsibility of the company and it is not therefore appropriate for my Department to intervene in this area.
Question No. 205 withdrawn.
