Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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A good deal of expertise has been built up in the construction of roads but I am concerned about what I heard earlier, and it goes to what the Department said about procurement. Procurement has been an issue with many projects, particularly very big projects, and the national children's hospital is a case in point. I am concerned about what I heard about taking the lowest tender and whether we are properly evaluating that. I think that is something we are going to have to look at.

Regarding a project where we do not have the kind of expertise we have with roads, namely, the metro, will the TII give details on the expertise it has in-house that can evaluate these projects rather than outsource them? Without that expertise, how can the TII properly evaluate what projects come to it, or does the agency have the expertise?