Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the policies that his Department have in relation to ensuring that, wherever possible, goods and services that are being purchased with public funds are used to maximise employment levels locally. [18172/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In purchasing goods and services my Department seeks to comply fully with national and EU procurement rules, as set out in guidelines from the National Public Procurement Policy Unit of the Department of Finance, and in line with EU Treaty principles and EU procurement Directives, which provide for free movement and non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality in the provision of goods and services.

The majority of contracts for goods and services in my Department fall below EU thresholds and these contracts provide an important business opportunity for small and medium sized businesses in the local and national economy. Public procurement guidelines recommend that contracting authorities ensure that recently established firms or firms with no previous experience of public contracts are not excluded from the tendering process. Measures have been introduced which make it easier to bid for public contracts. A national public procurement website (www.etenders.gov.ie), where all significant public sector contracts are now advertised, was developed by the Department of Finance in recent years. This central facility is available free of charge.

Contracts for goods and services are awarded by my Department either on the basis of the lowest priced tender or the most economic advantageous tender (specifying, in addition to price, various other criteria including running costs, servicing costs, level of after sales service, technical assistance, technical merit, environmental characteristics).