Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No, it related to where professional fees are charged on the basis of contractual arrangements between professionals providing the State with services. The tendering process deals with the question of value for money more generally. As for Deputy Ó Caoláin's points, the issue pertains to the introduction of reforms such as e-auctioning, whereby people could offer a price on a certain number, consistent with their own capacity, in respect of a much larger tender. In other words, such flexibility must be considered in order that the tender need not be filled by a single supplier, if people have a knowledge of the quality of the product that is being suggested by various smaller suppliers.

Sometimes one must balance the effort to accommodate everyone regarding the submission of tenders with the overall need for value for money. E-tendering or e-auctioning has a benefit in that, for example, one can lump together a tender and achieve best value for money by having a number of local authorities apply for the same type of product or service at the same time. Simultaneously, it enables people to apply without being obliged to fill the tender themselves solely, if the Deputy understands my point. There are ways and means by which the issues pertaining to value for money and the flexibility to ensure the process is inclusive can be worked on, were people to apply their minds creatively to it.

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