Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to go back to some of the questions I raised earlier in this meeting. Incidentally, I am aware this issue has been dealt with by the Committee of Public Accounts. This is inappropriate because that committee does not have a competence in policy. In fact, it is specifically excluded from dealing with policy. I want to establish that because what is occurring undermines the role and function of the Chairman of this committee. Speculation is outside the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts. It is acting ultra vires. There are consequences if that continues.

The point I want to raise relates to tenders. What is the process for evaluating a tender? Someone might tell me how it works. For instance, what is the capacity of the client to assess the validity of a tender? How can it be grounded? How can we test it? What was the process in this particular case?