Results 15,641-15,660 of 26,579 for speaker:John McGuinness
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: They are coming at noon. The Minister is not coming in but the Deputy can have a chat with him himself.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: While the members were contributing, I had an opportunity to look at the annual progress report on the public service reform plan for March 2015. It was in our post this morning. On page 6 of the report, it states the procurement reform programme is implementing a new centralised model for public procurement to generate significant savings in non-pay expenditure. It is stated that...
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: It is news to me too. This is a Government publication and probably comes with a health warning.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Yes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Another item in the report on which I would like the witnesses' views is set out on page 25. It refers to public procurement and circulars. The report states that Circular 10/14, the infamous one, which contains new public procurement guidelines that make it easier for small businesses to bid for State business, was launched in April 2014.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: What is Circular 10/14?
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: I am referring to the annual report from Mr. Watt's office. Are the witnesses saying that Circular 10/14 was worthwhile, but nothing has been achieved on foot of it?
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: On page 26 of the report, it is stated that the OGP continues to engage with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, IntertradeIreland, local government and Enterprise Ireland to support SME engagement in public procurement and to progress the supporting actions in the Action Plan for Jobs. Has the OGP been in contact with the witnesses on the supports they require?
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Is it Mr. Noonan's view that it does not function?
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Let me give Mr. Noonan the priority of the OGP for 2015. It is to take on all sourcing activity in scope from Departments and agencies valued above €25,000 for spend falling in eight categories, one of which is marketing and stationery. If what it is doing is not modified in some way to suit microbusinesses in this country, it will continue to have the catastrophic effects that it is...
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Therefore, what Mr. Noonan is telling us this morning is that all of this is of absolute urgency and that it needs to be addressed, not with the flowery language that one finds in these releases but with some real action from the Minister and the OGP.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Did Deputy McDonald want to ask a question?
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: We will not do it in this session of the meeting-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: -----but we will do it after we hear from the Department in our next session, which starts at 12 o'clock. I am conscious of time and I want to conclude this section of the meeting.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: It is important but, as I noted earlier, we have only heard from one side.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: I know the Deputy did.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: We are going to be careful.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Part of being careful is hearing two sides of an argument. We have heard one side of the argument this morning, which greatly impressed me. I am fully supportive of the SME sector and the micro-enterprise sector. We will hear the other part of the argument when the officials come before us in the next few minutes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: Sorry, I am not finished. After that, the members of the committee can engage with the Comptroller and Auditor General in a discussion in order that we do not simply leave today's contributions from both sides in this room. Arising from these discussions, I intend to ensure action is taken to assist the sector we heard from this morning. We will revisit the overall issue after we deal with...
- Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)
John McGuinness: We will return to that.