Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Recommendations in this area were set out in a report commissioned by the Government and would save €300 million. I have asked the Taoiseach simple questions about what he has done to implement those recommendations, but he cannot answer them. The ideas Mr. McCarthy put forward on the professionalisation of public procurement, including combined purchasing, inventory control and so on, seem perfectly sensible. He identified €300 million in savings, a not insignificant sum in bad times. All I want to know is whether the Taoiseach is doing anything to implement these recommendations. He asked earlier for me to name one measure on which I support the Government. I have pointed out that changes in public procurement, as recommended in the McCarthy report, will yield €300 million in savings. What is the Taoiseach doing to implement those changes?

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