John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

Of necessity, this has been a complex and difficult procedure. The tenderers underwent a rigorous examination and evaluation by the steering group, which was obliged to make a decision as to the preferred tenderer to go before Government for its decision. Issues had to be examined in detail. The current status is that the contracting party, the Office of Public Works, will enter into discussions with the provisional preferred tenderer to finalise negotiations.

I prefer to look at this matter in a positive light. The project has been mooted for many years. In a sense, we have read most of the chapters of the book and have now reached the last chapter. We will read and perhaps re-read the last chapter but, in the final analysis, within a period of approximately six to nine months the final preferred tenderer can be identified. It should then be possible to go to the Government with a view to designating the preferred tenderer. One can foresee all kinds of obstacles, of which there have been many in the provision of a national conference centre, but as we have passed the penultimate stage, I am confident that we can successfully conclude negotiations and have the conference centre built.

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