Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend and compliment Fianna Fáil for bringing forward the Bill. It is very important. Every day of the week, we see ordinary businesses that help in the local communities. They want to assist and might have family members going to a particular school or have long been associated with a school. It is very important when the tendering process is going on that we give them a chance and that they are not ruled out by certain procurement rules and regulations. This has crept in here in the past few years.

I had many robust debates with my former colleague and Minister at the time, former Deputy Martin Mansergh, when he was Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. This issue needs to be looked at because if school sports or a play is on, the school goes around to the local suppliers for the spot prizes and other support and yet much of the time they are denied the chance to tender. The stuff is being taken away from them. Some of the stuff is coming from the lowest cross-tender. We heard of it happening in Cork yesterday on the radio with a new development. They got in the lowest tender - they have a habit of that - and now the contractors want to add €20 million on to it. That is happening. It is a race to the bottom. We are not getting the best quality.

As Deputy Michael Harty said, we need a social return. We need some kind of assessment of the social good done by local suppliers being in local communities. There is nothing underhand done. It is good, honest, decent trading and many times it is through the back door with credit. When schools do not have the money and are waiting for the next subvention, the suppliers give credit. These other companies come in, cut everybody, blow them out of the market and some of the quality of the equipment we get is very poor.

I will hand over to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae.

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