Mr. Cormac McSweeney:

No. Take the first example, of a co-funding and sectoral purchasing arrangement. The libraries are engaging in HEAnet, for example. That is done through one institution but we all effectively piggyback on the contract that was properly tendered for by that institution. Therefore, we are not non-compliant. The contract was procured properly by one institution on behalf of the sector. Inadvertently, through clerical error, it was recorded as being non-compliant.

With regard to the extension of service contracts, we have proprietary systems with certain providers. The contracts might have lapsed but one would be using those providers to do one’s maintenance. As the president said, there is a move towards a shared-services model in ICT. We were working with the HEA on that. One would not be going back out to engage in a procurement exercise regarding the contracts until that particular review is completed. It is not a matter of sweet deals per se; there are genuine reasons.