Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Apologies for missing most of the Minister's presentation but I had to go off for votes in the Seanad. I have a number of questions. The first is regarding projects that have been costed and are hitting delays for one reason or another. Does the Minister have any estimate for what the inflationary cost increases have been on, say, an annual basis? Across the board, what is the rate of inflation for infrastructure and construction at the moment?

On procurement, although this may be the Minister of State’s gig to answer, the Minister stated that the Department has infrastructure and procurement guidelines. What is the status of those guidelines? Are they mandatory for all Departments and all State agencies to follow or are they advisory in that regard? In order to achieve some of the objectives, it was said the Department monitors expenditure from a climate, well-being and equality perspective. Is there an attempt to put in position clauses to ensure that is followed through? I refer, for instance, to social clauses to ensure people who get Government contracts pay at least the living wage to the staff who are working for them. If we want to achieve some climate outcomes and employment of people who are long-term unemployed or ensure people are brought on as apprentices, are there social clauses built in to procurement contracts? From an ethical point of view, how far does that extend down the supply chain? Are we concerned with ethical procurement here on the island but not necessarily for goods and services that Departments and State agencies are procuring from the other side of the world? Are we ensuring there is an ethical follow-through in what the money of taxpayers and the State is being spent on for goods and services from other countries that might not have the same ethical approach in how they produce and deliver goods and as regards the type of practices they have for employees who are involved in that production?