Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a specific personal interest in this matter. I am sure the Minister has received representations from different parts of the country already. This move is causing considerable concern among small stationery retailers in towns and villages throughout the country for whom a substantial part of their business is supplying their local schools and educational institutions. If this proceeds as planned in April, it will remove a very significant part of their trade. Last week the Cabinet met to discuss the jobs initiative. Although we need to ensure we get greater savings in procurement, we also need to consider the wider impact of every policy measure we take. This proposal will take money from existing small businesses in towns and villages for national objectives and in many cases there may not be any saving. We are missing out on employment and economic activity in those areas. Having spoken to stationery suppliers, I know that the local suppliers are able to provide as good value and in many instances better value than what is being agreed with the national procurement service. The procurement guidelines provided to schools should certainly provide a list of what is available from the national central supplier, but at a minimum if schools can show they are getting equal or better value from their local suppliers, they should be allowed to purchase from them. In that way we can ensure we do our utmost to keep that economic activity and those small businesses operating at local level.

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