Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased that we have reached the final Stages of the Bill which I have no doubt will be widely welcomed because it is so hugely necessary to secure payment for subcontractors. The Minister of State is probably not minded to accept amendments, but I hope he will reconsider. With Deputy Sean Fleming and others, on every Stage I have raised the issue of a social clause and social considerations to be factored in as part of public procurement processes. I anticipate the reply of the Minister of State to be that he agrees with the sentiment of the amendment, but that this is not the legislative instrument in which to place these matters. I have no doubt that this is what he will state. Nonetheless, I want to underscore the absolute necessity for a social clause to be written and hardwired into the entire public procurement process.

An argument that affording opportunities to long-term unemployed persons or young people who are out of work, perhaps as part of the youth guarantee, somehow displaces others is wrongly cast. The very purpose of any investment in public works should be to generate new employment opportunities. The Minister of State will see that my amendment includes consideration of long-term unemployed persons and the availability of apprenticeship schemes, but it goes further than this and refers to issues such as environmentally sustainable approaches involving reuse and recycling. It knits together the best elements of good practice across a number of public policy areas in a way which would not make the contracting process impossible or overly complex or bureaucratic but would write large good practice. In the event that the Minister of State is not minded to accept the amendments for the purposes of this legislation, I again ask him to follow up on the commitment he has made, in fairness to him, on many occasions to ensure that when we examine the entire issue of public procurement in all of its guises the issue of social and equality clauses will be given the prominence necessary.

See this speech in context