Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses have all of the information. It is not just for me but for the committee to be outlined when it receive it next week or whenever else. It is good that the Department is near the end of the process.

One thing that has not been mentioned at all today, surprisingly, is the appropriation account for Vote 37. Page 6 includes a big chunk about non-compliance with procurement rules. It is included in the statement on internal controls. Mr. McKeon made no reference to it and, surprisingly, the Comptroller and Auditor General did not refer to it this morning either as he normally does. The committee is now concentrating on the number of Departments and public bodies that are not complying with public procurement rules. For the viewers watching, will Mr. McKeon explain the statement made in the second paragraph of page 6 that "the Department has reported in the 40/02 return to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General fourteen contracts to the value of €2,037,029 that were not subject to a competitive procurement process, of which five contracts with a value of €590,320 are non-compliant". Details of the five contracts are listed. Will Mr. McKeon explain to the public the difference between a contract that is not subject to competitive procurement and the five contracts that are non-compliant?