Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like the Minister to clarify something. He said there was €275 million in the six-year capital plan. There is a €500 million loan from the European Investment Bank, EIB, and €75 million from the European Investment Fund, EIF. This all comes to €0.85 billion. What period of time does this cover? He said the figure of €275 million was for six years. Over what period of time does the Minister expect the €500 million from the EIB and the €75 million from the EIF to be spent?

I think the Minister is nervous of this process. If I was in his shoes and sitting in his seat, I would be nervous of it because of the precarious situation. He said it was an unusual process. It is the most unusual process I have ever heard of. I am not an expert in commercial activity but I am around long enough, as are most people in this room, to know that if one is bidding for anything, or if one plans to build a house, a bungalow or an extension, one does not run with the first person to put in a bid. The county councils cannot do that. They must get up to five tenders, and they must get three bids for works of more than €500. Here the State will potentially spend billions of euro and there is one tender. It is lunacy and the Government has no control over it. The Department's officials, that is, the 80 people in total employed in this project, will be made into minced meat. The taxpayer will pick up this bill.