In standing down Mr Paddy Teahon as executive chairman of Campus & Stadium Ireland, the Government described the former secretary general at the Department of An Taoiseach as a person of "outstanding integrity and commitment to public service". Such commitment was evident, it said, in Mr Teahon's efforts to ensure that the National Aquatic Centre at Abbotstown, was available in time for the 2003 Special Olympic Games.
All going to plan, the centre will be complete early next year. But there is every reason not to be proud of the circumstances in which the contracts to operate the centre were awarded. Despite advice to Government demanding significant international experience of running centres of a similar scale, the company in charge of the Dublin project is controlled by a property developer and civil engineer, Mr John Moriarty. This is not to doubt the commercial credentials of Mr Moriarty, who was described as a "bona fide white knight" in the report into the affair by the Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell. It says much about the bid process, however, that a white knight was required at all. Mr Moriarty only entered the frame when rival bidders in a tender process managed under the EU Procurement Directive were eliminated. Mr Teahon's legal advice said the EU procedure was complied with. But Mr McDowell was highly guarded when he said in his report that "it would not serve the public interest to discuss the issue here". Such words could prove to be telling, if rival bidders challenge the process in the courts.
There is more. As disclosed by this newspaper, the company which sought the contract, Waterworld UK, is dormant. This is difficult to reconcile with claims by the original construction partner - Multi Development Corporation - that Waterworld UK had a 20-year trading record. "The claims made for the experience and success of Waterworld UK Ltd appear to be unfounded and unchecked," wrote Mr McDowell. Indeed, he noted that CSID's executive services manager Ms Laura Magahy acknowledged that the company was facing the prospect of dealing with a "contracting entity that has no substance".
The fact that Mr Teahon should have allowed this to happen may say something about his drive to deliver the project in accordance with the ambitions of the Taoiseach. But his failure to inform the Government, the CSID board and the panel which assessed the bids of the dormancy issues is alarming. The Tánaiste Ms Harney's understandable concerns about the contract when the Government signed it off emerged yesterday. It is not clear what stance the Taoiseach adopted at that stage.Mr Ahern obviously believed that Mr Teahon was the man for the job. So much so, indeed, that the draft Memorandum to Government to proceed with the aquatic centre plan in December 2000 was faxed to Mr Ahern's own Department from CSID's office. Why then did Mr Teahon not inform the relevant individuals and Department when the alarm bells rang about Waterworld UK? He attributes his actions to delegated authority, authority which has cost him his job and leaves his political master with more questions to answer.