Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
229. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he, his departmental officials or his ministerial predecessors have met companies and an organisation (details supplied) and-or representatives of same in the past three years to date; if so, if a schedule of those meetings and the associated minutes will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44781/18]
View answerI have not had any meetings with the organisations in question.
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, which is a Division of my Department, has not met with the Irish Infrastructure Fund. Officials from the OGCIO did meet enet on nine occasions during that time to discuss network operational issues. This was because OGCIO is responsible for Government Networks and enet is one of the contractors for the delivery of same. OGCIO routinely meet all providers of operational services impacting Government Networks.
OGCIO have also had three technical telephone conversations with enet to discuss how their proposed National Broadband solution might interface with Government Networks. This is in line with good procurement practice that at pre-defined procurement stages, potential suppliers can be given the opportunity to resolve possible uncertainties around their solution.
Finally, OGCIO met enet and one of their partners on two occasions, to discuss outline plans for the State Data Centre solution. This is standard procedure and several other suppliers have had similar meetings with OGCIO on this issue.
