Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

We have set up a central procurement unit. There is a major effort to improve procurement throughout the public service with the establishment of the Office of Government Procurement. Of the 19 contracts, the figure for which amounts to €4.99 million, processes have been advertised for 59% of that value. In the case of 23% of it, legal advice has been sought from the Chief State Solicitor's office on issues arising from procurement. In the case of 6.5%, it relates to emergency actions such as the removal of horses on animal welfare grounds and harbour works as a result of severe winter conditions. In the case of 5.8%, it relates to the purchase of test kits for laboratories where there is only one suitable supplier. In the case of 5.5%, we are consulting the Office of Government Procurement. It relates mainly to the removal of hazardous clinical and biological waste and whether the contractors the Office of Government Procurement has engaged are suitable.