John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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305. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the level of payments made to private sector companies in 2014 for public contracts; if his Department investigates the employment policies of firms in the private sector who tender for State contracts; if a company's employment record has any impact on whether it is awarded public contracts; his views that an equal employment policy should have an impact; his further views that it is important to ensure that the Government supports equal opportunity employers and that contracts of this nature should not be awarded to private sector companies who operate gender discrimination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11849/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The exact level of expenditure that relates to public procurement for 2014 is not as yet available. However, based on previous years the State spends approximately €12 billion per annum on the procurement of goods, works and services.  More exact data will be available shortly.

It is not part of my Department's remit to monitor the implementation of employment policies. However, I would say that employment law and its enforcement apply equally to public and private sector contracts. My colleague Mr Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has overall policy responsibility for employment rights including redundancy entitlements.  The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) is responsible for enforcing statutory employment rights and entitlements in the State and, in undertaking that role, carries out a range of functions including the provision of employment rights information and the inspection of employment related records. NERA operates a system of risk based inspections in sectors where there are identifiable risks. Inspections are also carried out in response to complaints received and routine inspections are undertaken as a control measure.

It is a condition of any contract entered into by a public authority with a private sector entity (other than for operations that may reasonably be considered as small scale) that the entity is required to provide access to certain information.  This information may assist the authority to assess compliance with employment legislation consistent with the requirements of EU and national law.