asked the Minister for Justice the total number of tenders considered for the cleaning contract which has been awarded for the new Garda headquarters at Mill Street, Galway; the price rating of the tender accepted and how that related to the price rating of each of the other two tenders; the name of the company which was awarded the contract; and if, in fact, the company awarded the contract submitted the highest tender.

It would not be in accordance with normal Government contracts procedures to disclose details of tenders submitted in cases of this nature. A contract for the cleaning of the Garda divisional headquarters at Mill Street, Galway, for a period of one year, was awarded by the Garda authorities to the company which submitted what was judged by them to be the most acceptable tender.

Will the Minister indicate whether the tender accepted was the lowest submitted?

No. The tender that was accepted was the one judged by the Garda authorities to be the most acceptable.

Was there a departure from the normal procedure in relation to the submission or acceptance of tenders in this instance?

No.

The Minister is very informative. I know the information I require would perhaps be better addressed to the Minister's predecessor, as I know the contract was awarded during his predecessor's time. Let me ask if he will give the name of the company whose tender was accepted?

It would not really be strictly in accordance with normal procedure to give such a name——

Of course it would.

——but, as the Deputy will find out herself, the contract was given to Noonan Contract Cleaning of Galway.