Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 557: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to ensure that Irish small and medium enterprises can compete for tenders from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15542/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 10/10 "Facilitating SME Participation in Public Procurement". Public procurement contracts, including prior information notices, are advertised by my Department on the national e-tenders and official EU Journal websites where appropriate and in line with the financial thresholds applicable. The e-Tenders website provides e-mail alerts to registered suppliers when contract notices of interest to them are published.

In setting down the terms of contracts my Department has regard to the capacity of SMEs to fulfil the contract requirements having due regard to their financial and technical capability. Where possible my Department utilises the standard template Request for Tenders and Contract documents circulated to Departments for use in public procurement competitions for the procurement of routine, non-bespoke and low to medium risk supplies and services and which assist in streamlining and standardising the tender process both for suppliers and Contracting Authorities. I recognise that, in the present economic climate, the Irish SME sector is very important to the economy and that public procurement can be an important source of business for these enterprises. My Department's newly established Central Procurement Unit will, taking account of obligations arising under competition and procurement law, continue to assess ways of ensuring that SMEs are not hindered in competing for contracts that they could perform effectively.