Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The IDA's board decided this matter in November. I understand that this was partly because it had received legal advice about the difficulties associated with retendering in the midst of a legal dispute with the current contractor, ConnectIreland. The IDA would also have considered the fact that the programme had only achieved approximately 10% of its target of creating 5,000 jobs. I respect the decision of the independent IDA board and have no reason not to.

It is not an option for the IDA or my Department to enter into a further contract with ConnectIreland without first undertaking a new tendering process, as the maximum number of extensions to the contract has already been granted under public procurement law. Any further extension would constitute a breach of that law. My Department will be commissioning a third-party review of the Succeed in Ireland initiative.

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