Horse Racing Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 October 2016

Thursday, 20 October 2016

Questions (244)

Sean Fleming

Question:

244. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine considering where public bodies advertise to open procedure - non-OJEU - on the e-tenders website (details supplied), his views on the circumstances whereby registered e-tender users logged on to find neither the invitation to tender nor any other document for the advertised competition had been uploaded to the system, thereby requiring them to apply directly to the public body at the given e-address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31252/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial State body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.

The question referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI.

However HRI have confirmed to me that the invitation to tender document and subsequent pricing schedule were uploaded to the E-tenders website at 15.39 on Friday 30th September 2016. The contract notice (including corresponding Invitation to tender document and pricing schedule) were formally published at 16:00 on Friday 30th September 2016, with a tender period of 21 days in accordance with procurement best practice, closing at 16:00 on the 21st October 2016. Since the time of publication, all tender documents have been available from the E-tenders website for all registered buyers. Registration to the government opportunities portal "E-tenders" is free of charge.