Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

The figures quoted by the Commission do not distinguish between companies based in Britain and those based in Northern Ireland. Therefore, many of the contracts going abroad may have stayed on the island of Ireland. As the Deputy will be aware, part of the remit of a North-South institution, Intertrade Ireland, is to expedite trade and business growth across the island. It offers practical advice and support in targeting new cross-Border business opportunities, obviously in both directions. The Commission agrees that an alternative interpretation of its figures is that approximately 95% of all procurement by value was from domestic suppliers. The Deputy will understand that the relevant percentage cannot be predetermined by the Government, but emerges from open and fair competition. When one is making comparisons, one also needs to take into account the size of the country in question.

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