Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister referenced the two-stage process. There are three positions in this regard as far as I can see. In committee we were told repeatedly by the board, the Department, the HSE and, I think, by the Minister - my apologies if I am wrong in that regard - that if the Government was to start again it would use the same two stage process. That is what we were told repeatedly. I have had only a short time to read the Mazars report but I do not believe it concludes what the Minister said it concludes. It highlights numerous issues with this two-stage process. I stand to be corrected but, based on my initial reading of it, the Mazars report does not conclude that the two-stage process was the right way to go; rather, it concludes the opposite.

Critically, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, yesterday said in his statement that these kinds of processes will not be used again and that the full design and costs will be known before the contract is set. That is my understanding of what he said. There appears to be a conflict between what the HSE, the Department and the board are saying, which is that the two-stage process was not only right but knowing what we now know they would use it again, which I find extraordinary, and what I think is a new Government position as of yesterday, which is that not only will they not be allowed but such an approach will never be used on major capital projects again. Will the Minister clarify the position?

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