Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Finance the status and details of the tender for the Tetra communications system for An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11898/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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An inter-agency procurement group, chaired by my Department, was established in late 2004 and began working in 2005 to determine an approach for digital radio services for the entire Irish public service, with particular emphasis on the emergency and security services.

The group decided to procure digital radio services provision rather than a system based on any particular technology. It also decided, following legal advice, to use the restricted procurement procedure for the exercise. The first phase of the procedure was advertised in January 2006 and closed in mid-February. Following evaluation of the responses received, five candidates were shortlisted to be invited to the second phase of the procurement in which they will receive the full tender documentation, subject to confidentiality and non-disclosure conditions. That second phase is expected to commence in the near future and the ensuing tendering and evaluation process will take at least four months to complete. The inter-agency procurement group has decided that a service performance evaluation will be required to ensure the appropriateness, performance and robustness of the preferred solution, before a contract can be awarded. It is estimated that such an evaluation could take approximately six months.