Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

Preparations for Ireland's EU Presidency are under way in all Departments. Significant progress has been made in setting Presidency priorities for the first six months of 2013. The Presidency is an important opportunity for Ireland to rebuild its positive image as a credible, effective and trustworthy international player. At a practical level, the Government has taken a number of decisions with a view to putting in place an efficient and cost-effective Presidency. The need for financial discipline means that expenditure for the Irish Presidency will be tightly controlled. As an important cost containment measure, the Government has decided that Dublin Castle and other State-owned properties in the Dublin area will be the default venues for all Presidency-related events in Ireland. The Office of Public Works has been fully engaged with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Taoiseach in identifying and pre-planning the facilities and requirements for events during the Presidency.

Work is proceeding on the expansion of facilities at the permanent representation in Brussels to accommodate the extra staff from all Departments that will be working there for the Presidency. Work is also under way on a centralised procurement scheme for all goods and services that will be required for the running of the Presidency. I expect that by taking a more collective approach, we will be able to maximise the potential economies of scale and reduce some of the administrative overheads incurred through individual tendering for similar goods and services. A prior information notice for the possible procurement of a number of requirements for the EU Presidency was published by my Department on 9 March 2012 on the eTenders website. The services and supplies included on the notice include accommodation; catering, hospitality and event management; chauffeur driving and bus transport services; interpretation and translation services; and an accreditation and badging service for delegates and media. The publication of a prior information notice does not necessarily mean there is a commitment to procuring these items. However, it underlines the transparent approach being taken to procurement, gives suppliers more time to prepare for possible tenders and will result in more cost-effective outcomes.

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