Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies opposite for their observations. Sometimes, there is a dichotomy between maximising the benefit to the State and ensuring that we do not impact negatively on local jobs. We are considering how the small to medium-sized enterprise, SME, sector can tender for jobs. We have run training programmes for SMEs and discussed bundling for them. Mr. Quinn, the State's new procurement officer, will be able to give the Deputies chapter and verse on this matter.

I will make a final remark to Deputy Sean Fleming, as I am conscious that I am in the presence of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This morning, I opened a conference of a range of construction companies in the State. There is a feeling that the situation in that sector is beginning to move again. One of the fears presented to me was that, due to the downscaling of construction companies, we do not have large companies to tender for some of the larger contracts. At least one situation was instanced to me in which a tender was lost to a non-national company. This is an issue about which we must be careful. We must ensure that we have sufficient scale to win all public contracts, but also international contracts, by equipping domestic suppliers to tender for same.

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