Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not think any line Minister has any difficulty in explaining what was agreed by their negotiators during the process. I want to make it clear that it is not part of the overall agreement and it is not part of what has been balloted upon. I will raise that with colleagues if people want to raise it with line Ministers.

In regard to the outsourcing question, we have a procurement process which examines value for money issues very rigorously. One of the issues, and this was raised with me directly by unions in the past, is to make sure that when one is comparing models, either procurement of a new service internally or externally, that one is comparing like with like and that all the factors would be taken into account. Clarity in regard to that was all that was provided. There will be, and will remain to be, in the provision of any new service a rigorous evaluation to ascertain what is the most efficient and cost effective way of providing that service to the public, whether it will be internally or externally.

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