Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 16 November 2023

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management

9:30 am

Mr. David Moloney:

I have not seen the comments but I have heard reference to them. The CCPC is the statutory body responsible and would have a view and insight into the potential. From our point of view, we take the potential for bid-rigging very seriously. It goes against competition law. The procurement guidelines for goods and services are devised such that where a contracting authority suspects bid-rigging or collusive behaviour, it reports that to the CCPC. We are clear on that. It is a risk of which we are very conscious and we would ask contracting authorities to be very conscious in conducting tenders because, of course, it would drive up prices.