Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Am I wrong in assuming that most Departments and State agencies seem to have been entirely independent operations in the way they purchase goods and materials to service the Departments? The Taoiseach has been in the Department of Finance for a number of years and he knows the bills that crossed his table. Would it be a good idea to have a single public buying office, under the Department of Finance, which would attract larger tenders and, therefore attract economies of scale across a vast range of materials, goods and services to be provided? For example, IT services could then be contracted out to other Departments and State agencies rather than the State entering into the famous PPARS business with the health boards where entirely separate operations took place. Surely collaborative purchasing arrangements in the interests of the taxpayer would attract very large tenders, economies of scale and greater accountability and transparency in the purchase of materials and goods and give a better return all round. Is there merit in having a single State purchasing body, operated under the Department of Finance, for all Departments — which, as the Taoiseach said, would cut out the series of independent republics which do their own thing, buy their own wares, make their own tenders, advertise their wares and so on — which should be in the interests of the taxpayer?

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