Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 368: To ask the Minister for Defence the position in regard to the Defence Forces food supply contract which was awarded to a company (details supplied), if it has been ascertained if the products to be supplied will be produced and processed on the island of Ireland and not imported; if he has a policy to source products produced on the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25020/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Defence Forces are obliged to carry out the procurement of food products in an open and transparent manner and in line with National and EU Public Procurement Guidelines. The Defence Forces have absolutely no discretion in this regard.

The previous contract for the provision of fresh poultry products for the Defence Forces expired on 31 May 2009. In anticipation of this deadline, an open tender competition was advertised on the Department of Finance's e-tenders website and published in the Official Journal of the European Union in February 2009.

The tender documentation indicated that the contract would run over a period of two years and that a potential tenderer could tender for any or all of the 18 Defence Forces locations throughout the State. The closing date for the receipt of tenders was 7 May 2009.

A total of nine tenders were received and a three person Defence Forces Evaluation Team evaluated the tenders. The contract was subsequently awarded to Crossgar Food Products, County Down on the basis of cost. The contract value is in the region of €350k over two years.

All poultry products provided by Crossgar Food Products under the contract are produced on the island of Ireland. The chickens are reared by individual poultry farmers in Northern Ireland. When ready for slaughter they are then processed by O'Kane Poultry, based in Northern Ireland, who have Board Bia certification. I am advised that the Defence Forces are fully satisfied that the poultry products from Crossgar Food Products are fully certified in all respects and that the products meet the required Irish, English and EU specifications.