Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry to cut across Mr. Costello, but does he now accept - I am trying to choose my words carefully, but a former Taoiseach used to refer to "smoke and daggers" - that items the board wanted may have been left out of that competitive bid, ensuring it was the lowest bid? Mr. Costello is saying that the board was obligated to go with the lowest bid. That does not make any sense, as people should be looking for value for money, but if the board was not doing so, that is fine. It was going with the lowest bid. Does Mr. Costello now accept that it might only have been the lowest bid on paper and not in reality, and that the persons tendering for it were aware that the board would go for the cheapest bid and gave the board an estimate that was not realistic? It does not stack up that the cost would move from the initial figure to the current one, and perhaps more again. They would have known that. They are in the construction business; I am not. I do not know whether Mr. Costello is either.