No tender process for €100m prison facilities

FINANCIAL watchdogs expressed alarm yesterday that nearly €100m of taxpayers’ money was spent on prison facilities without being subjected to a proper tendering process.

Chairman of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Bernard Allen said he was “flabbergasted” at the way the Justice Department had handled the affair.

The PAC also heard that the annual cost of providing for asylum seekers now stands at e300m as lawyers were accused of “dragging out” the process.

An initial building contract for work valued at €4.7m had been put through tendering procedures, the committee was told, but the same firm was then awarded contracts worth nearly e100m without having to tender again.

The extra work included a €21m facility in Castlerea, the movement of an exercise yard costing €3.4m and the creation of an all weather sports pitch at the price of e700,000.

Mr Allen said: “I’m not happy with what I’ve heard here, that from a base of e4.7m, subsequent contracts for nearly e100m were entered into without a tendering process or advice on European law, and that those advising you were also on a drawn-down or roll-over contract from 2004 to 2007.

“I’m flabbergasted by the disjointed approach by the Finance and Justice Departments on this. No one seems to be able to tell us if there was best value for money or transparency regarding EU law.

“How was all this allowed based on a contract for e4.7m?” he asked.

A Finance Department official admitted the matter was a “concern”, however, Justice Department secretary general Sean Aylward defended the move saying the prison service had to move quickly with building matters due to overcrowding.

Mr Aylward said that only 11% of asylum seekers who arrived in the past 17 years have been successful in their applications, while only 2% of those who legally challenge the decision win their cases.

“This is not about winning or losing, it’s about dragging out the process. We have a very large growing legal community who have been appealing every aspect of our processing of our asylum cases,” he said as it emerged legal aid to asylum seekers costs the state e8m a year.

Since 1992 some 80,000 asylum seeker applications have been lodged, but only 9,000 were granted.

Labour TD Roisin Shorthall also warned drug dealers were being allowed out on bail to “continue plying their trade” because the prison service lacked the capacity to handle them.

She said 885 people charged with possession of drugs for sale were out on bail last year, more than three times the figure of 250 for 2004.