Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the broad support for the work of the Office of Government Procurement. Not only will it save money for the State and the taxpayer, something that Deputy Naughten always espouses, but it is more efficient. It will make SMEs more efficient. It has already done so.

Between 2012 and 2013 we have increased the participation rate of SMEs overall. We have more than maintained the level of Irish companies winning public procurement contracts. This is an ongoing process. We have only started. We need to see how we can work with industry and its representatives to build those synergies to get a slice of the €2.4 trillion EU procurement contracts market. I am determined that the Office of Public Procurement will be a professional body that will help small companies to tender, either individually or collectively.

See this speech in context