Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 February 2018
166. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public contracts a company (details supplied) holds here; and if, following the recent experience with the collapse of another company (details supplied) precautionary measures can be taken to safeguard public projects and jobs. [5737/18]
View answerThe Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has established six framework agreements that include the company named by the Deputy as a member. To date, seven contracts have been awarded to this named company following direct invitation to tender to the members of these frameworks.
An analysis of contract award notices, both at national and European level, published on the Office of Government Procurement’s national electronic tendering platform, eTenders, shows that there are a further six contract award notices published by other public sector bodies where this company is the awarded contractor. However, companies may trade through a subsidiary or as part of a consortium. The management of the tendering process and the administration of the contract once awarded is a matter for each contracting authority. Public contract details, therefore, are held by the individual contracting authority concerned.
In relation to precautionary measures that can be taken to safeguard public projects, I would point out that the assessment of a tenderer's financial and economic standing is a key part of any procurement process because the contracting authority must be satisfied that a contractor will have the necessary capacity to carry out the contract. This assessment typically includes examination of bank statements, audited accounts and statements of turnover over previous years. Public contracts should be actively and effectively managed and monitored by contracting authorities. The safeguarding of public services and achieving value for money are key considerations in this regard.
