Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider reducing the minimum turnover required for a company to be eligible to tender for any future contract for the installation of water meters, in order to open the competition to smaller companies. [17918/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The procurement process for the sub-contractor panel has been developed by my Department, in consultation with Bord Gáis Éireann, to ensure that SMEs have an opportunity to compete for contracts. The tender criteria have been developed to ensure that sub-contractors have the capacity to carry out the scale of work involved to the necessary high standard. The approach being taken for the sub-contractor panel is consistent with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on facilitating SME participation in public procurement (that Department’s Circular 10/10 refers). A significant number of SME contractors have pre-qualified following the procurement process. It is expected that the successful regional management contractors will be utilising the resources of these sub-contractors for the purpose of delivering the meter installation works. As the procurement process is currently underway it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.