Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I want to ask the Minister a number of specific questions. Why was only one charter company approached with regard to the leasing of helicopters for the mission? Also, why was the advice of the contracts branch in his Department, which was given in March 2008, that the existing framework agreement did not make provision for helicopter lease ignored? Also, why was Air Partner asked to more or less evaluate its own documentation which effectively meant that the tenderer was involved in evaluating its own proposal? There should have been expertise within the Defence Forces and the Air Corps to do that entire task. Those are three specific questions.

What procedures have been put in place to ensure that similar problems will not occur in the future? Have such procedures been put in place and, if not, when will that be done?

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