Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am familiar with Accenture. I think it is a very good firm. It does a lot of important work in the private sector and has a lot of Government contracts as well. I think it had a contract in my former Department, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which I assume was tendered in the normal way. Public bodies should always follow public procurement rules, full stop. If it is the case that An Garda Síochána did not follow proper public procurement procedures, that is not acceptable to the Government. The reason we have public procurement rules is to ensure that companies can bid and get a fair crack of the whip when it comes to applying for public contracts. It is also how we ensure that taxpayers get the best value for money and how we ensure citizens get the best outcomes. I discussed the matter with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and we have sought a report from the Garda Commissioner into this issue.

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