Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

I refer to the criminal conviction guidelines of the Department of Finance which provide that if somebody has been convicted of fraud, that person is precluded from participating in a public contract. It is clear that Balfour Beatty was fined £2.25 million sterling in 2008 after it had been charged by the British Serious Fraud Squad and found guilty of false accounting, yet it has now been awarded this contract. I understand all of this is the subject of a court case that is pending, but the guidelines of the Department of Finance do not allow a company with a fraud conviction to be awarded a public contract. Therefore, the awarding of the contract contradicts the guidelines. The Minister referred to safety and the number of employees in this group, but it has these convictions against it. There are convictions dating back ten or 12 years, but these were made in 2008 and 2009. I, therefore, ask the Minister to investigate the matter.

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