Parliamentary Question: Departmental Contracts

30th September 2003

1193- 1199 and 1202. Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department has had communications with a company (details supplied) with respect to privatising or contracting out aspects of the criminal justice system; if so, if the contact was initiated by the company or by his Department; the date of the contact; the services which were or are under discussion; and the status of any such discussions. [20614/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I propose to take Questions Nos. 1193 to 1199, inclusive, and 1202 together.

Expressions of interest by companies in providing services are pursued formally following public advertisement in accordance with EU and national procurement procedures. The Deputy will appreciate that contacts are initiated on a continuing basis outside tendering procedures by individual companies wishing to provide information on services they provide.

For the record, two of the companies referred to by the Deputy have made contact with the Irish Prison Service. One of the companies has been in contact regarding prisoner escorts and another company on electronic tagging. A third company referred to by the Deputy has submitted tenders for the provision of civilian monitoring of Garda CCTV schemes in Tralee and at Pearse Street. No decision has yet been reached in respect of this tender competition.

For the sake of completeness, I might also mention that a number of GATSO speed detection units have been purchased, since April 1998, from one of the companies referred to and are currently maintained by them. Both the purchase of these cameras and the maintenance contract for same have been results of tender competitions in accordance with public procurement guidelines.