Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 6 Oct 1993

Vol. 434 No. 2

Written Answers. - Contract for the Supply of Uniforms.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

149 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance if, in relation to the placement of contracts for the purchase of all uniforms and related clothing contracts for the Army, Air Corps, Navy and Gardaí, he will give the total value of contracts placed in 1992 and for 1993; the percentage of that total that has been awarded to Irish manufacturers; the countries of origin; the percentage of the contracts which have been granted to non-Irish manufacturers; the percentage of the total budget accounted for by these non-Irish contracts to manufacturers; the way in which these contracts are awarded; the criteria, other than price, that are used in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Dempsey)

The Government Supplies Agency is responsible for the procurement of supplies and services on behalf of Departments and offices in accordance with the Rules of Government Contractual Procedure laid down by the Department of Finance.

All procurement for items in excess of the EC threshold, approximately £100,000, is advertised in the EC Journal.

For items with an estimated value of less than £100,000 quotations are invited from all known Irish suppliers together with those firms from outside Ireland who have specifically requested that they receive an opportunity to quote.

The following is a summary of contracts placed in 1992 and 1993 for uniform and related clothing on behalf of Government Departments and Public Offices:

Total value of contracts placed in 1992 and 1993 to date, £12.88 million; Total value of contracts placed in Ireland, £12.00 million (93.2 per cent); Total value of contracts placed abroad, £880,00 (6.8 per cent) of which £360,000 (2.8 per cent) was for items which could only be sourced abroad (almost entirely in the United Kingdom) leaving £520,000 (4 per cent) as the value of items sourced abroad on a purely competitive basis.

Contracts are awarded following competitive tendering on the basis of the economically most advantageous tender in terms of price, delivery and quality.