Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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359. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will delay the awarding of the new national tender for book stock in September 2016 until such time as the public procurement social value Bill is introduced (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22440/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The provision of public library services is a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. This includes the procurement of books and other library related services. My Department has no direct role in these matters. Local authorities must adhere, however, to national and EU requirements when undertaking procurement processes for the delivery of goods and services to public libraries. These requirements do not preclude Irish companies from tendering for such contracts.

I understand that the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the Educational Procurement Service are working together on a library category procurement for local authorities under the new Office of Government Procurement centralised model. As current contracts with library authorities will start to expire from Spring 2017, the LGMA intends to commence the procurement process in the Autumn to ensure that new contracts are in place by early 2017. For this reason, it would not be practical to delay the procurement process pending the introduction of the Public Procurement Social Value Bill referred to in the Question. The LGMA is establishing a working group to oversee the procurement process, however, and this group will consider options for the addition of a social clause as part of the tender preparations.