Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to take a couple of seconds to vent my frustration. Because of the rules, protocols and regulations in this place, I was not able to change my priority questions after 11 a.m. on Thursday. The Minister announced in the press a major change with regard to a renewable energy project which has been effectively mothballed. Neither Deputy Moynihan nor I could change our questions and it makes no sense. I hope we will have an opportunity during this week to hear the Minister make a statement and to ask questions on it.

A postcode system entails converting map coordinates into machine-readable format and it is not a complicated process. Yet, it is reported that this cost €25.6 million for a contract over ten years and in addition there will be a tender for a contract for technical advice and support. This is extraordinary because I would have thought this cost would have been included in €25.6 million. It is reported that it will cost an additional €5 million to integrate the postcode system with other government software systems. There was also a €40 million turnover requirement for companies tendering for the contract which excluded most, if not all, Irish IT small and medium enterprises from applying. How is this reconciled with the Government's stated aim to support SMEs?

See this speech in context