Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

In the OGP, staff are involved in the capital works management framework and the wider work in the construction sector relating to the OGP. As part of the infrastructure reforms which will be advancing next year, there will be a significant element of reform of how procurement in the infrastructure area operates. That is why integrating that component of the OGP was important, but there is also wider work in the Department to better integrate the OGP into the Department. Because of the establishment of the infrastructure division, the personnel on the construction policy side and those involved in the capital works management framework have played an important role in giving practical feedback about some of the difficulties, of market access, which we hear from SMEs, and competitive tendering and infrastructure delivery, which we need to improve. They have had a positive input into the infrastructure reform agenda. That is the purpose of their role being integrated into the Department.