Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will confirm if National Procurement Service contracts are now mandatory for all local public sector contract procurement; and if so, the necessary minimal annual turnover of a business to qualify to tender for a contract. [10437/13]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

July 2012, following a government decision to make eight of the National Procurement Service (NPS) contracts mandatory, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued ‘Circular 06/12: Public Procurement (Framework Agreements)’. The purpose of this Circular is to inform all public bodies of the mandatory requirement to utilise central contracts, put in place by the NPS, when procuring a range of commonly acquired goods and services. Such central arrangements are targeted at securing best value for money and facilitating contracting authorities to deliver services within their budgetary constraints. The eight mandatory contracts are:

- 1. Stationery & Office Supplies

- 2. Paper

- 3. Janitorial Supplies

4. ICT Consumables

5. Managed Print Services (When opting for managed print service solutions it is mandatory to use this framework agreement.)

6. Advertising (Print Media)

7. Motor Vehicles (Cars and Pick-up Trucks)

- 8. Energy (Electricity and Natural Gas)

- The annual turnover required for each competition depends on the estimated value of the contract and will be different for every competition run by the NPS.