Cusken Ltd of Castletown Road, Dundalk and Boyne Business Park, Drogheda were successful along with eight other SME’s from across the country recently in an appeal which was taken by the Commissioner of Public Works in Ireland to the Supreme Court against a High Court judgement that was awarded in their favour of Cusken and the other SME’s.
The case was taken by the small businesses in order to allow them the opportunity to tender for government contracts.
Paddy McCusker from Cusken Ltd explained: “The whole process was legally very complex and costly. We got involved back in 2012 after the Government made it ‘mandatory’ for central and local government bodies, including the HSE, local councils, all levels of the educational sector, covering primary, secondary and VEC schools etc to only engage with certain companies for print managed services.
“If any of these bodies required a photocopying print managed services they could ‘only’ choose from a limited panel of government selected companies, none of which were based locally. This eliminated all of the local companies/SME’s to tender for this type of business right across the country. “
Paddy explains “that in his opinion the initial competition was completely anti -SME and local companies, with a criteria that was so outlandish it was impossible for any local SME to be involved or even to get the opportunity to apply for the ‘right to tender’.”
He said: “All we and other local SMEs ever wanted was a level playing field and the right to tender
“Like all other SME’s Cusken contributes to local government bodies and councils through an array of taxes. I know this does not give us an entitlement to local contracts, but surely we have the right to tender for them and that was all we were ever asking for.
“We know we can compete, if allowed, because we offer not only value for money right across the spectrum but we also make a valuable contribution to local social and business needs by means of jobs, services, taxes etc.
“Even now looking back on the long complex process and court cases, I am glad I got involved, because it was morally the right thing to do. It would have put countless local businesses and jobs in jeopardy across the entire country.”
Paddy would like to thank everyone for the support from all quarters he received, including staff, customers, local people, local business, and political representatives across every divide and Dundalk Chamber of Commerce.
“Finally, the one thing I found very ironic, was that I never met one political representative, whether in government or not, who did not support what we were trying to achieve.
“SME’s have a crucial role to play in our local and national economies, just give us a level playing field, and we can do the rest. It is morally the right thing to do,” said Paddy.
