Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is it the case that the EU procurement unit found the tendering process for at least three major contracts to be highly irregular and faulty? It is highly unusual for the Comptroller and Auditor General to criticise a public sector contract as severely as he did in the case of the postcode contract. I was astonished to read an article in the Sunday Independentrecently by the distinguished journalist Eoghan Harris in which he described what appears to be a very poor tendering process for the postcode contract. He refers, for example, to Mr. Gary Delaney, who developed the Loc8 code, a satellite-navigation-based postcode system that he was prepared to give to the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive free of charge. In Mr. Delaney's view, smaller companies were grossly discriminated against in the tendering process. For example, bidding companies were required to have an annual turnover of €40 million. I am aware of similar requirements in other areas of Government procurement. Why was Mr. Delaney's innovative and free postcode system not considered? Why did we end up with such an expense? As I stated, the tendering process for the postcode system has been severely criticised. I note also that the Department awarded at least two consultancy contracts without any tendering process.

It was reported recently that 87% of people know their Eircodes. Does the Minister know his Eircode?

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