Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Finance the value of contracts for printing and stationary issued each year by the centralised procurement facility; the number and value of each individual tender and the frequency with which they are put out for re-tendering and if he is satisfied that the size and duration of tenders, or, where tenders have been lost, to get an opportunity within a reasonable period to try again bearing in mind the considerable efforts to reduce costs which are underway throughout the small business sector; and if he will indicate the proportion of the total value of contracts which is currently delivered by Irish printers. [27373/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government Supplies Agency (GSA), a Business Unit of the Office of Public Works, provided a centralised procurement service to Government Departments, Offices and Agencies for a range of goods and services including printing and stationary. This service is provided principally by means of drawdown contracts, which set out prices, terms and conditions under which supplies are delivered; the various Departments, Offices and Agencies can purchase as required from the appointed contracts. These contracts are generally of two to three years duration - this has proven to be a reasonable period having regard to factors such as the protracted timescale involved in organising tender competitions, the requirement for a reasonable degree of certainty and stability (including price stability) for customers, the need for contracts to be of sufficient duration for suppliers to achieve an adequate return on investment, and the desire of unsuccessful tenderers to have new opportunities to compete for the business.

The expenditure on GSA contracts for printing & binding services and for stationary and office supplies in each of the past three years is as follows.

Of the contracts for printing and binding services, the proportion delivered by Irish printers was 97.9% in 2006, 88.6% in 2007 and 88.1% in 2008.

The functions of the Government Supplies Agency have recently been subsumed by the National Public Procurement Operations Unit (NPPOU). This new Unit will provide procurement services to a much larger range of customers across the entire public sector. Before entering into any new contracts or agreements, the NPPOU will analyse both the supply markets and the level of demand for the various products and services, and will develop appropriate strategies for each individual market. This may entail changes in the nature and duration of the contractual arrangements which currently apply.