Mr. Maurice Buckley:

I suppose Deputy O'Brien is in a way drifting into procurement policy and it is something I cannot really comment on as a Government official. Obviously, the clearer the rules of the game are and the clearer the legal situation, the better. That applies to everyone involved, not only the contractor and the OPW or the State but also the person doing the work. We are all concerned about being fair to the smaller builder and for there to be a level playing field. The person who is honest and quotes correctly should have the best chance of winning the work.

I cannot comment on the methodology to get there and I cannot comment on how the system in Ireland compares to other countries, but certainly as a major public procurement body in the construction area the OPW, along with all the other parties involved, is concerned to work on the system, learn from experience and get it right. There have been some concerning trends in the marketplace in recent years.