Vol. 558 No. 3
52 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has received a complaint regarding alleged interference in the tendering process for a group water scheme treatment facility (details supplied); the investigation he has conducted into the complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23883/02]
On 19 November 2001, one of the parties to a joint venture that had submitted a tender to the local authority in respect of this project wrote to my Department raising certain matters in relation to the ongoing tender process. My Department's investigation did not establish that any basis existed for not proceeding with the tender process, and the local authority's tender recommendation of 30 November 2001, was approved by the Department on 18 December 2001.
On December 18 2001, an e-mail communication from the original correspondent was forwarded to my Department by a third person. This alleged certain irregularities in the tender process by named persons and bodies. In the absence of consent from the correspondent to the matters referred to being taken up with the parties concerned, or any other indication that the tender process had been compromised in any way, my Department concluded that there was no basis for setting the process aside. I understand that both sets of correspondents are now the subject of legal proceedings by one of the named persons.
It should also be noted that the other party to the joint venture, a major international company, wrote to my Department at the time to disassociate itself from the allegations being made by its partner and to confirm that there did not appear to be any substantiation to the claims of improper conduct in relation to tender procedures.
Question No. 53 answered with Question No. 45.
Question No. 54 answered with Question No. 13.
