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

I honestly do not know. Different people will have different stories about how the financial problems arose in the Peter McVerry Trust and it will have to be properly and fully investigated. Only when that is known will we know exactly what did or did not happen in that body. It is important that services continue and are not disrupted while investigations take place and while a new administration is put in place.

I am not involved in the awarding of any contracts, as the Deputy knows, but it is not a requirement that the contract always be awarded to the lowest bidder. That is not the case and a number of factors are taken into account. When it is not awarded to the lowest bidder there is a high risk of legal challenge so you need to be on relatively safe ground if you give it to a higher bidder.

See this speech in context