Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

During Leaders' Questions the Taoiseach challenged me and Deputy Kenny to name one measure on which we support the Government. I wish to start with public procurement. The Labour Party supports the recommendations that are contained in the McCarthy report on public procurement. Those recommendations are not insignificant. The McCarthy report proposes that there could be a reduction of approximately €300 million in public procurement in a full year if certain measures are taken and that they could be achieved by 2012. The Labour Party is on record as saying that those are good recommendations, that they should be supported and that we support them.

I wish to ask the Taoiseach a couple of questions about how he is implementing the recommendations. The McCarthy report recommended that a panel of experts should be formed to drive the professionalisation of procurement. Has that panel of experts been established and will the Taoiseach indicate to the House who is on it? Second, the McCarthy report recommended that reforms should be extended into supply chain management and inventory control in all public authorities. Has that been done?

Third, the McCarthy report recommended that a number of Departments, including Health and Children, Education and Science, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should be required to review current arrangements in detail and to submit to Government no later than the end of 2009 a detailed statement of reforms they propose in supply chain management and inventory control in all public authorities in their sectors to deliver aggregate savings building up to €300 million in a full year by 2012. Has that been done? Could the Taoiseach inform the House whether the Departments produced the reports by 2009, which I presume they must have by now, and what is the total estimate of savings?

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