Legal services must go to tender - Coffey

Louth County Council came under fire from the Local Government Audit Service for failing to put a contract for legal service out to tender, members heard at the monthly meeting.

Cllr. Emma Coffey highlighted the auditors findings that the council entered into a five year agreement with its current law agents to provide legal services. ‘ However, quotes to provide this service were not sought from any other legal service providers.’

Cllr Coffey responded ‘ This is simply not acceptable. This is a public body, and this possibly exposes Louth County Council to anticompetitiveness action.’

She criticised council management for ‘ not following public procurement legislation, which has been in place since 1995.’

The auditors report for 2016 also found that a contractor was awarded a contract ‘ to provide disability access at various locations in the Dundalk Municipal District.’

It found that ‘recommended public procurement practice was not complied with in that quotes to carry out the necessary works were not sought from any other contractors.’

It emerged that the total cost of these works was €50,000.

Chief Executive, Joan Martin, responded that the contractor for the disability works had been procured by the former Dundalk Town Council, ‘and the series of work identified continued under the same framework.’ She added ‘ the matter of procurement time-lines has been addressed, and a new framework is in place.’

Responding to the appointment of a provider for legal services, she said ‘While no tender was issued for the service, negotiations with solicitors did involve references to charges which other local authorities were incurring for similar services.