Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Burke's question on e-Tenders is a good one. In relation to the work we are trying to do, we are trying to make this facility for tendering and procurement more accessible and easier for small companies and enterprises. Recently, a study was published on the number of Irish businesses that do not have an online presence or that do not interact online on a regular basis. Such companies would have real difficulty in accessing the service. Part of the outreach of the Office of Government Procurement includes the "meet the buyer" events and the "go to tender" events to explain the portal, how it works, why it is of benefit and how to navigate it. I have just taken on this role and I am getting interesting feedback on how to make the system more accessible from people who have tried to access it. When I visited the Office of Government Procurement headquarters, it was one of the matters we discussed and it is something I hope to do in the context of some of the events I will be doing from the autumn on to get that to work better for companies. Deputy Burke is aware that a number of colleagues raised the issue previously as well.