Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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249. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has considered re-evaluating the criteria for tendering and considered the regionalisation of tenders to allow booksellers and local library sellers a chance to compete (details supplied). [11783/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no role in relation to the procurement of book-stock for public libraries. The provision of public library services, including the procurement of books, is a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. A national tender for book- stock procurement was run recently by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of local authorities. All matters related to the tender process were managed by the LGMA with support from the e Education Procurement Service. My Department had no direct role in this regard and, therefore, has no authority to intervene in what was an independent procurement process.

Arrangements have been put in place by bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information by those bodies directly to members of the Oireachtas. Accordingly, any information sought in respect of the tender process can be sought directly from the LGMA at corporate@lgma.ie.