Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 375: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason he has not adopted a national action plan for green public procurement despite the fact that such a plan was required to be adopted by the end of 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12791/09]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 376: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action proposed to ensure that the EU sustainable strategy in respect of green procurement targets will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12811/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 375 and 376 together.

The conclusions adopted by the September 2008 EU Competitiveness Council recalled the aim of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy on Green Public Procurement and provided a comprehensive overview of developments and commitments. The Government's commitment to green public procurement was confirmed in the 2008 Framework For Sustainable Economic Renewal Building Ireland's Smart Economy. My Department is committed to the preparation of an action plan on green public procurement. In doing so, we will work with the Department of Finance's National Public Procurement Policy Unit which has overall responsibility for public procurement policy in Ireland. We will also work with the National Procurement Operations Unit in the Office of Public Works. The new Unit will be a centre of excellence for public procurement generally and will facilitate the integration of whole-of-Government policy issues in areas such as sustainability and the environment into public procurement practice for the organisations served by the Unit.