Written answers
Tuesday, 6 December 2022
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Contracts
Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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75. To ask the Taoiseach the contracts that have been granted without having to go to public tender; the companies that were granted these contracts and the nature of work involved; the qualifying criteria that was applied to any company awarded such a contract in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022 [60092/22]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of the Taoiseach ensures that there is an appropriate focus on the implementation of best practice in respect of purchasing and procurement and has procedures in place to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines and regulations. The Department also liaises closely with the Office of Government Procurement on all matters related to public procurement and monitors all areas of expenditure on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved.
It is the case however, that a small number of contracts will be awarded without entering into a competitive process each year. Reasons for this include instances where only one company can provide the necessary technical support required, the service is not provided by any other service providers or the contract was for a critical and urgent need.
Under Department of Finance Circular 40/02, the Department is obliged to make an annual return to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of any contracts with a value of €25,000 or more, exclusive of VAT, which are awarded without a competitive process.
Based on the information gathered as part of this process the table below sets out the position in respect of contracts awarded by my Department for the years 2020 and 2021. As the annual reporting process in respect of the Department’s 2022 40/02 return has not yet commenced, the requested information in respect of this year is not yet available.
Year | Company awarded contract | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/2021 | Quark Software Inc. | This expenditure relates to ongoing maintenance of the e-Cabinet system, developed by Quark, which utilises certain vital components which are Quark Software Inc. proprietary components. Given the highly complex technical architecture of e-Cabinet and its reliance on Quark Software Inc. products, no other economic operator would be in a position to provide the technical support and maintenance services required to maintain the system. |
| 2020/2021 | CPL Solutions | Legal secretary to work with the Moriarty Tribunal legal team. The Tribunal approached CPL Solutions directly in relation to this engagement when the Tribunal was set up in 1997. The Tribunal operates independently of the Department. |
| 2020 | Eir | Telephonists to operate the Department's switch. The Department has examined options for drawdown from the OGP framework for this service. Despite approaching all service providers within the Framework, no operators indicated that they would respond to an invitation to tender. |
| 2020 | PlanNet21 Communications | Video collaboration and conferencing systems and associated licences. These systems were introduced in an emergency situation to facilitate the operation of the Department of the Taoiseach, including meetings of the Government, during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2021 | Ward Solutions Ltd. | Ward Solutions were engaged at short notice in May 2021 to provide advice relating to the Department’s cyber security posture following a cyber-attack in the Irish Health Service. |
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