Postcode Implementation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014

Tuesday, 4 March 2014

Ceisteanna (239)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

239. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 472 of 18 February 2014, when he stated his Department received correspondence from the European Commission during 2012 in relation to the procurement process for the National Postcode System, if he will state categorically whether the EU found breaches or not in the procurement process; if this is the case the way he plans to remedy them; if he was aware of them when he awarded the procurement contract; if he was aware an investigation was ongoing when he awarded the contract. [10769/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

My Department received correspondence from the EU Commission during 2012 in relation to the procurement process for the National Postcode System. The case was fully examined by the EU Commission which informed the Department in November 2013 that the matter had been closed by it as no breaches of the procurement framework were found.

The correspondence was still open when the award of the contract was announced on the 8th October 2013.

The case was investigated under the EU Pilot project that was introduced by the Commission with a number of volunteer Member States in 2008 with the aim of improving the cooperation between Member States and the Commission on issues concerning the conformity of national law with EU law or the correct application of EU law.