Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate from where the Deputy is coming. I was a member of the Committee of Public Accounts for a number of years. The issue in regard to the qualification of public private partnerships and the difficulty in getting information on them is one with which I am familiar. The reason, as I have alluded to, has two elements. The first is that where a semi-State commercial body which is subject to FOI legislation, as the Deputy knows, is competing with a private body which is not subject to it, the former can be at a competitive disadvantage. That is because there is a higher degree of disclosure. That is the reason for the caveat.

Let me consider the second caveat. Given that it is the State that is initiating public private partnerships, in order for it to be able to get best value, it can be and is of help to it to make sure the terms on which we conclude agreements are not available to competitors or other companies with which we might have to deal. If the Deputy has a specific project or group of projects in mind, as I am sure he does, I will be happy to respond to him if he mentions them.

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