Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has reviewed the effectiveness of public private partnerships throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19119/05]

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.

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. As capital investment projects, PPP projects are subject to the requirements of the guidelines for the appraisal and management of capital expenditure proposals in the public sector. In addition, my Department prepares and issues PPP-specific guidelines for Departments and State authorities in regard to the assessment, approval, audit and procurement of such projects, taking into account the experience of projects to date and any further relevant information.

Within a particular sector, a decision on the suitability of any individual project for the PPP procurement approach is a matter for the relevant Minister or State authority in the first instance. The value for money achieved or effectiveness of such projects is also a matter for the accounting officer in the Department or office sponsoring the project. While the performance of individual PPP projects is a matter in the first instance for the relevant Minister or accounting officer as appropriate, lessons learned which are of general application are shared or incorporated into guidelines issued by my Department.

In September 2004 the Comptroller and Auditor General published his first value for money study of a PPP project — in this case the bundled schools project which was one of the early pilot projects. This is a helpful report which will assist the development of PPPs into the future. The development of PPP procurement is an evolving process which we will continue to keep under review.