Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, public procurement is a matter for all of these agencies. It is not for the Oireachtas to decide every individual contract. There is a broader issue, if people wish to reform the procurement process itself. I think we are entering into a new situation if individual Deputies are to decide who will win individual contracts from State agencies. That is the road on which I am not clear that we should be going down, quite frankly. It is not open to the State. For example, local authorities have to go by EU procurement rules. The State has to go by EU procurement rules in respect of all of these issues across the board, from construction, right across.

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