234 Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the food procurement policies of detention centres (details supplied); if these goods are sourced from outside the State; and if so, the rationale for same. [8450/11]

The procurement processes used by Children Detention Schools follow EU policies and regulations in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Finance. These policies and regulations require that procurement of services, such as the provision of foodstuffs, in excess of a certain cost threshold, must be open to bidders across the European Union.

An Invitation to Tender for the Provision of Foodstuffs to the Children Detention Schools issued in November 2009 on E-tenders, (the Government's on-line tendering site) and in the Official Journal of the European Union. There were six contract categories awarded to preferred bidders in 2010, of which five have headquarters in the State and one, in relation to dry goods, was awarded to a company which operates across the country and has its headquarters in Co. Down. The contracts in question will run for a period of two years. The selection of the preferred bidders was based on the response to the criteria set out in the Invitation to Tender and on the best prices being quoted. Information on procurement is available on the National Procurement Service website, www.procurement.ie.