Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Reformed procurement activities have saved approximately €100 million over the past two years. In the embryonic stage of the OGP we have saved €100 million in direct savings and an additional €16.5 million in utility savings. This is before we really get operational to invigilate a proper professional procurement regime.

The Deputy asked about service level agreements. I do not have those data before me, but I will ask the OGP to forward them directly to him.

Every agency of State and every Department is transforming how they do their business in a professional way. It takes a while to recruit the professionals we need. We want to get the right people in place and we have largely done that. There are still a few more we need to recruit, but largely all the key people are in place. It will have a transformative impact on how the State operates in the right way so that all goods and services can be bought in a transparent way. There are no side deals or local deals that, unfortunately, used to be a feature of how the State operated in the past.

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