Ms Breda Gibson:

The committee asked us to educate it because we have been doing this job for so many years and know what it is all about. We would not question what members know in terms of their job and expertise. In the case of the Office of Government Procurement, it must educate its staff and give them a remit beyond simply price. If it educated its staff on the ten steps, as has been done in Wales, it would be very hard for them to go outside that. If that format were followed, it would be very difficult for the money to go outside the community.

On 17 February, the Government announced its decision to put €250 million back into rural areas. We told it two years ago that companies on the high street would close down. There is a knock-on or domino effect in that if one business goes, every shop in the high street may go. Only now is €250 million being given to try to address this. We could have saved the Government that money if the Office of Government Procurement had listened to us and it could have been spent elsewhere. That is all we are asking.