asked the Minister for Finance why the adhesive stickers used in coin box telephone units to indicate the recently increased telephone charges were purchased from overseas countries while suitable stickers for this purpose could have been procured from a factory (name supplied) in Portlaoise, County Laois, which is at present on short-time working.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Stickers.
24.
The adhesive labels in question were required in small quantity as a matter of urgency by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. For small urgent orders of this nature, it is the practice to place the order with the firm most likely to meet the delivery requirements. In this instance, orders were placed with an Irish firm who printed the labels.
At the time the orders were placed, the Stationery Office were not aware that the firm referred to in the Deputy's question, would have been in a position to supply adhesive labels of the type required.
May I ask the Minister two questions? First, why is it that he and not the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs replies to this question?
Because it is the Stationery Office who place the order and are responsible.
Is there not a close relationship between the Stationery Office and the Department of Industry and Commerce when the Stationery Office did not know that we had a factory in Portlaoise which could make this type of label?
The usual practice is for people in the trade to make known their capacity to produce certain goods. In this case the firm did not make known to the Stationery Office that they had capacity for production of the article in question. If this had been known, if they had done their sales work, they might have been invited to tender for the job but as this information was not at the disposal of the Stationery Office, obviously they were not in a position to invite the firm to tender for the job. It would be inappropriate for me to give the price but the price of the articles in question would not have provided the wages for three men for even a week.
The Minister has indicated that the order was placed with an Irish firm which bought the material abroad in which case the question of the Stationery Office would not arise. How does the Minister assume that the firm in Portlaoise were to know the Stationery Office would be seeking tenders for this type of job? Was it advertised in the Press? Were tenders sought for the provision of these goods or was it done in some back-handed way?
The cost of advertising this particular job in the Press would have far exceeded the cost of the material purchased and could not have been warranted under any circumstances. The procedure adopted is that invariably used where small orders are required expeditiously.
A three-line small advertisement would suffice.
It might not have been seen by the firm in question. If they had not made known that they had certain goods for sale it is unlikely that they would be alert enough to see a small advertisement.
Is the Minister inferring that this firm in Portlaoise, who sell all over the world, were not properly equipped or had not their eyes open in regard to this order?
The Deputy did ask whether there was any information in the Department of Industry and Commerce available to the Stationery Office. We know that the records of the Department of Industry and Commerce show that this firm did not project any sales in Ireland in 1974.
(Interruptions.)
Could the firm not be included in the Stationery Office purchase order book? That would solve the whole problem.
It is now.
Thanks to this question. If the question achieved that much it is a help.
If people want to sell goods they ought to make known what they have to sell.
It is a new factory.
It is the second or third slip up by that Department.
There is no slip up at all here.
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs admitted a slip up in relation to another contract.