Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In recent years, we have had cases of preferred bidders being appointed for major projects for the State in PPPs. People have then changed their plans or approaches, or finance has no longer been available. Up to that point there is no liability to the State in terms of the costs incurred by the potential preferred bidder. The bidder carries the costs until the contract is received.

Coming back to the communications area, we had the second mobile phone licence. Eircom was privatised and sold off and has exchanged hands multiple times. Will the winner - and I say winner because it is presumed that company will make money - be able to sell it on to somebody from China or Taiwan?