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

There is, however, a difficulty.

The circular and the framework have had the effect of locking out a number of SMEs and microbusinesses, some of which have gone under because of the reformed system. Jobs have been lost. To the astonishment of the sector, when it approached Government and the procurement authority, it was told jobs was not their concern, it was none of their business. That is a consequence of the lack of joined-up thinking and, I respectfully suggest, basic cop-on or sense of what is happening in the real world. What these businesses need in accordance with the rulings of the courts is for the Minister of State to be explicit that the framework is voluntary and that there is no penalty for sourcing materials and services from local suppliers. They also need in the instance of the MPS framework for the Department of Education and Skills to make that absolutely crystal clear in line with the rulings of the courts to schools right across the State. Businesses and those they employ are seeking that level of assurance and clarity from the Minister of State this morning.

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