Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Jonathan O'Brien for his engagement. He will recall from discussions we had on the procurement element of the Bill, which is not in any other piece of legislation, that the net result of not accepting this amendment will be that these Houses will be clogged in the new year, amending hundreds if not thousands of pieces of legislation to insert this provision because in no other piece of legislation where a service is procured on behalf of the State is the need to do this explicitly stated. I do not want a situation where we call into doubt the role of the Office of Government Procurement and all of the people in the State who currently procure services and goods on our behalf. I made an offer to the Opposition spokespersons and Deputy Jonathan O'Brien that my Department is willing to engage in any way, through the Office of Government Procurement and my officials, regarding this or any other service.

Different parts of the Bill have been challenged up until now but this is also an important amendment.

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