Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of times the public private informal advisory group has met from 2002 to date; the work programme and recommendations made by the group; the number of times the group has met officials from his Department and with the members of the inter-departmental group on PPPs from 2002 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11147/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The public private informal advisory group on public-private partnerships, which is chaired by the Department of Finance, has met on 17 occasions since 1 January 2002. The membership includes representatives from the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Construction Industry Federation, the members of the interdepartmental group on PPPs and officials of the Department of Finance.

The framework for public private partnerships, November 2001, developed under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and via the informal advisory group, sets out a statement of principles for the development of PPPs in Ireland. The advisory group has been very helpful in developing the PPP process in Ireland and it provides a forum for relevant officials and social partners to meet. The role outlined for the informal advisory group in the 2001 framework is to help to develop partnership arrangements with the private sector by reflecting the interests of the relevant social partners in the area of PPPs and to facilitating the parties involved to exchange views and information.

The work programme of the group from 2002 to date has focused on consultation in regard to the programme of technical guidance brought forward by the central PPP unit in the Department of Finance, on the exchange of views in regard to issues affecting the development of the PPP process to date and in providing clarifications as necessary in regard to progress on individual PPP projects. To date, the guidelines issued following consultation with the informal advisory group and the inter-departmental group on PPPs include:- interim guidelines on the procedures for the assessment, approval, audit and procurement of PPP projects; Revenue guidelines on the corporation tax treatment of PPP agreements; guidelines on the role and function of the process auditor; guidelines on stakeholder consultation for employees and their representatives.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 385: To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department remains committed to advancing PPP projects in information communication technology, the tourism and leisure sector, urban development and renewal and public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11148/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to developing the PPP process as a viable procurement option for appropriate projects within the overall context of public investment in infrastructure and public services. PPPs are one procurement tool to be used alongside traditional approaches. I believe that the PPP approach has benefits when applied to projects of the right scale, risk and operational profile.

In support of Government policy, the role of my Department is to facilitate the PPP process, to develop the general policy framework within which PPPs operate and to provide central guidance to Departments and other State authorities in that context. Within a particular sector, a decision on the suitability of any individual project for the PPP approach is a matter for the relevant Minister or State authority in the first instance.