Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress achieved in respect of the target under the action plan for jobs to reduce the regulatory burden by delivering an integrated licensing application service for the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48137/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The introduction of an Integrated Licence Application Service was a disruptive reform in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 with the delivery of such a service to the retail sector by Q4 2013. A Steering Group, chaired by the Minister for Business and Employment, with membership from the key licensing authorities, including Revenue, Local Authorities, Inland Fisheries, Irish Film Classification Office, and the Office of Tobacco Control, with a remit for retail licensing was established to oversee the process. The Steering Group considered delivering this service either through an extension of an existing platform within the State sector or an outsourced provision of the solution. The Steering Group agreed to progress the option of an outsourced provision, through a finance-design-build-operate model.

In 2014 a number of steps were taken to advance the action. Firstly a Statutory Instrument (S.I. No. 83 of 2014) was signed by the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government in February 2014 to extend the powers of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) so that they could act as the Contracting Authority for this Service on behalf of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

A Request for Tender for a Single Supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of an Integrated Licensing Application Service, signed-off by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, was issued through etenders and in the EU Official Journal on 21st February 2014 with a closing date of 17th April 2014.

A contract has been awarded and the LGMA, as contracting authority, has written to the successful tenderer to inform them of the outcome of the competition and an award notice has been published in the EU Official Journal. The contract has been awarded to An Post with Escher as their technology partner.

Contract conclusions have commenced and are scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2014, subject to advice received from the Attorney General’s Office. I intend then to bring a Memorandum to Government on this issue before the contract is signed.