Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details in relation to the number and value of State capital project contracts awarded to companies registered outside the State in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively; if he will provide details in respect of the number and value of State capital project contracts awarded to companies registered here in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34810/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The 2005 Department of Finance guidelines on Capital Appraisal define minor projects as those with a value under €500,000. Accordingly, details of the three contracts awarded by my Department whose value exceeds that threshold during the period in question are provided in the table. All three projects were carried out by companies registered outside the State and there were no such contracts awarded to companies registered in Ireland during that timeframe.

Contracts over €500,000 awarded from 2009 to 2011

My Department complies with EU and WTO rules on public procurement (which are part of Irish law), which prohibit discrimination against suppliers on grounds of nationality. Similarly, public contracting authorities in other EU Member States are prohibited from discriminating against Irish suppliers and service providers on grounds of nationality. This is a basic feature of the EU and WTO Free Trade rules which are of critical importance in ensuring that Irish exporters have free and unrestricted access to public sector markets overseas, particularly at a time when such opportunities in Ireland are contracting.