Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 28, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(4) The Authority shall on an annual basis lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a record of consultants or advisors engaged under subsection (1) in the preceding financial year and the purposes of such engagement.”.

Amendment No. 16 would insert a new subsection into section 31 whereby, when the authority engages consultants or advisers under subsection (1), it would be required to relay annually before both Houses of the Oireachtas a record of the consultants or advisers and the purpose of their engagement.

Amendment No. 17 would insert a new subsection into section 31 which would provide that, where the authority engages persons to provide services, it may not advertise or enter into the contracts on the basis of only the lowest price offered by such service providers and that there would be strong quality criteria in terms of who would be engaged. That is a price-quality procurement model rather than a lowest price only model.

Amendment No. 18 would insert a new subsection into section 31 which would provide that, for the avoidance of doubt, the authority would not engage persons to provide services where such services are related to decision-making in respect of the individual entitlements of contributing participants or employees.