Experience

Orlaith advises primarily on public procurement law issues. Orlaith has experience in both contentious and non-contentious aspects of tender processes, together with invaluable insight into the political environment in which public sector and semi-state bodies operate. Orlaith regularly works with clients to run procurement processes from start to finish, from preparing the contract notice and prequalification documents, to assisting in post-award issues. 

Orlaith has a deep understanding of the pitfalls which can arise in public procurement processes, enabling her to guide public purchasers in avoiding these risks, as well as to assist tenderers in protecting their legal rights.   

Orlaith has also been involved in handling a number of legal challenges to procurement processes, and gives strategic and practical advice to clients in such situations such that positions adopted are afforded the greatest protection.

Key highlights include advising:

  • Coillte on numerous public procurement issues associated with the development of wind farms, wind farm joint ventures, and property transactions.
  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland as standing procurement advisor acting on matters including the Luas Operation and Maintenance contract, a complicated and high profile infrastructure re-procurement process. Orlaith has also advised TII on matters including the Enhancing Motorway Operations Services (eMOS) procurements and the Motorway Maintenance and Renewals Contracts.
  • National Transport Authority as standing procurement advisor acting on matters such as the opening of 10% of the bus market (representing a major departure in transport service provision on the Irish market). Orlaith has also advised on a variety of high profile procurements including the re-procurement of the Leap Card operations contract as well as a nationwide qualification system in respect of rural transport services.
  • Ervia advising across a variety of large scale utilities procurements for Ervia and GNI, e.g. advice on strategic procurement, the legal regime applicable to innovative projects, and significant operations and IT projects such as an IT services framework agreement.
  • NTMA/Department of Education in respect of the development of the Schools Remediation Programme involving the investigation, assessment and remediation of defects identified in forty schools.
  • Office of Government Procurement advising the OGP on how best to update the CWMF suite of suitability assessment and tender documents to reflect the current law, while necessitating minimal knock-on amendments.
  • Road Safety Authority on ongoing procurement and contract queries, including in respect of the Commercial Vehicle Information System project, the Support & Development of the Driver Application and the audit of security elements of RSA's digital tachograph project (among others) all complex ICT procurements.