Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that Mr. Smyth is present to address these issues. The context of this situation is that if the tender process was completed successfully, the Minister with responsibility for signing off on it, having completed due diligence and examined what was involved in detail along with departmental officials, would go to Cabinet and recommend that the contract be approved. Other Ministers may question the process at Cabinet but the word of the responsible Minister would carry significant weight. That is how government works. As a procurement officer, is that Mr. Smyth's understanding of the process?