Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge these have important work to do. Some of them may not have had to be set up as independent organisations. I will answer the Minister's question. I note in the publication the Minister gave us, "Public Service Reform Plan", under patient safety and quality, that the Minister for Health proposes to set up the Irish patient safety agency this year. I thought HIQA would have a role in that. I would question that. We need patient safety covered but HIQA should be capable of doing that. Seeing as the Minister asked, there is just one.

On an issue we discussed here previously, the Minister confirmed that 5% of overall annual public procurement, which amounted to €650 million of the €13 billion in 2011, went to companies outside of Ireland. I note the Minister wants to drive down prices but he is exporting jobs unnecessarily through this process. He will be aware that many of the small and medium-sized businesses complain that they cannot get onto these lists. Right across Europe, they give contracts to companies in their own countries - in some countries, 98% or 99% of them. They are subject to the same EU thresholds and requirements as we are yet we are going backwards in this area. By the Minister's own admission and the parliamentary question of yesterday, €650 million is going to companies outside of the State. For an island nation, we should not have that. The Minister should be trying to do everything possible to protect Irish contracts and get more in line with the EU average of 97% or 98%. The Minister stated here it is one of his targets but I do not see anything being done to achieve that target. I accept it is difficult.