Vol. 498 No. 1
338 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the procedures for the assessment of the applications to provide a 50 metre Olympic size pool facility; the applications received and from whom they were received; if there will be a short list drawn up as an interim measure; and the timescale for a final decision. [26537/98]
The tender procedure for the 50 metre swimming pool project is being conducted in accordance with EU Council Directive 93/37/EEC, concerning the co-ordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts. Under article 22 of the directive, candidates were selected for invitation to tender from among those qualified in accordance with articles 24 to 29 thereof. These requirements were outlined in the tender procedure notice for the project which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on Wednesday 21 January 1998, and in the Irish media on the following day. The invitation was open to both the public and private sectors.
The Government has agreed to provide capital assistance, up to a maximum of £6 million, and annual operational assistance, up to a maximum of £250,000 per annum, towards the cost of implementation of the successful tender.
The deadline for submission of tenders from qualified candidates was Friday, 27 November 1998 and three tender proposals were received on that date. In line with Government public procurement guidelines, it is not proposed to disclose any details regarding the identity of the tenderers or their proposals. These three submissions are now undergoing detailed evaluation, based on the assessment criteria outlined to tenderers in the invitation to tender documentation. There will be no shortlisting. The assessment will encompass: evaluation of the proposed location and site, evaluation of the design and construction proposals, evaluation of environmental servicing proposals, evaluation of capital costs, evaluation of the business and operational plans, investment appraisal.
The evaluation will be undertaken by an independent multi-disciplinary consultancy team who will produce a full technical assessment and evaluation report for the project team which is charged with overseeing the project. The project team will report their findings and recommendations, following which I will present a memorandum to the Government on the matter. A decision is expected early in the new year.
