Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 11 November 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport
Chapter 5 - Expenditure on Night Vision Imaging Technology and Training for Search and Rescue
Special Report 113 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Procurement of Vehicles by the Irish Coast Guard

9:30 am

Mr. Ken Spratt:

The procurement process has not yet commenced because there was some engagement between ourselves, the Department of Defence and the Air Corps about the possibility of the Air Corps providing some element of the contract. We are still bottoming that out. I would expect it to go to the Government before the end of this month and once we get through Government, we will be commencing the procurement process.

As regards the business case, needless to say there are strong rules about public procurement processes and in the normal course, business cases would not be published during a procurement process in order to protect the integrity of the process. I would expect that, in due course, we will be publishing procurement documentation but not while the process is under way in order to protect its integrity.

As regards the question about a conflict of interest, public procurement rules and law include provisions which need to be adhered to. We also have conflict of interest rules and laws in general. We are satisfied, based on our inquiries, that there is no concern from a conflict of interest perspective. Mr. Towey may wish to add to that reply. As I understand it, we do not have conflict of interest concerns.