Mr. Paul Quinn:

The starting point for a number of procurements done on an emergency basis was the fact that they were done on an emergency basis. It is not what we do on an ongoing basis, either centrally or through most public procurement. At the time, the market forces were very different. My strong recollection of where things where at that time was that there was a scramble, not only in Ireland but across the world, to procure necessary supplies, especially medical supplies such as PPE and ventilators. The normal good functioning of public procurement, how it operates and due diligence would have to be examined as the balance of risk and speed were played out. There will be lessons to learn about it.