Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school insurance can be included in the central procurement process to negotiate more affordable premia en masse and ensure that schools can manage insurance costs within their finite resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43416/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for insurance rests with Boards of Management and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) for schools operated by them. Funding is provided by my Department in respect of general running costs, including insurance.

It is Government policy that public bodies, where possible, should make use of all central public procurement frameworks. The benefits arising from these frameworks include: cash savings; administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering; greater purchasing expertise; improved consistency; enhanced service levels and legal certainty.

A wide range of public Procurement Contracts/Frameworks are available to schools for procurement of goods and services. Among them is Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the Provision of Insurance Brokerage and Placement Services to the Public Sector. Clients of the Framework can include primary, post-primary, special and secondary schools as well as ETBs acting on behalf of schools.

This Framework allows schools and ETBs to seek the provision of the most appropriate and cost effective insurance brokerage solutions to meet their needs; and to get advice and guidance in respect of handling insurance related issues.

As to a possible public procurement mechanism for schools to obtain competitively priced insurance cover, I understand that the Office of Government Procurement has been leading consultations involving my Department and school patrons and trustees concerning the conduct of a value for money study of school insurance premia. As part of this process, a value for money review of IPB has been conducted and it concluded that the ETBs and County Councils, the effective “owners” of this mutual insurance body, are receiving value for money services from IPB for their insurance needs. I understand that given the complexity of the issues involved, ongoing work is progressing slowly.