Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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520. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason he met a bidder during the tendering process for a contract to supply personal alarms to older persons; why no minutes of the meeting were taken; and if this meeting during the period the tenders were being evaluated contravened the rules of the tender process. [39020/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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522. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will declare the tender process for the telecare tender null and void, as a result of meetings held during the tender process between his office and the organisation (details supplied) that ultimately received the contract. [39091/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 522 together.

My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and arising from this, it was decided that the scheme be managed by Pobal, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.

A meeting between Minister Kelly and Deputy Brendan Ryan was scheduled for 10 December 2014, to discuss the Senior Alerts Scheme. While it was not indicated that any other people would be attending the meeting, Deputy Ryan was, in fact, accompanied by two people who were part of a company that had bid in the tender process to establish a panel of preferred suppliers for the equipment needed for the supply and installation of personal monitored alarms, at what I am advised was ultimately a meeting of very brief duration.

It is important to note that the assessment of the tenders including the award of contracts under the procurement process concerned was carried out wholly separately by Pobal, an independent company, following a public advertisement on eTenders on 20 October 2014. I am satisfied that this process, including its parameters, criteria and processes, was conducted in a robust manner consistent with EU and National Procurement Guidelines.