Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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154. To ask the Minister for Health the number of contracts tendered to businesses in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [46271/18]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Health the number of contracts tendered to businesses in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018, disaggregated by the value of the contracts awarded. [46273/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 156 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The Department of Health follows procurement guidelines with regard to contract awards.

The Office of Government Procurement has responsibility, together with sectorial partners, for putting in place framework agreements and contracts through which public sector bodies can buy goods and services. The Office is also responsible for procurement policy and procedures, sourcing systems and data analytics.

A list of contracts awarded since 2016 is available on the OGP website ogp.gov.ie/contract-awards-for-standalone-mini-competitions/.

If there is any particular contract the Deputy wishes to receive information on please contact my private office.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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155. To ask the Minister for Health the number of contracts tendered to businesses of 50 employees and less in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [46272/18]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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157. To ask the Minister for Health the number of procurement officers in his Department charged with the responsibility of preparing, tendering and awarding procurement contracts. [46274/18]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Health the annual cost of procurement officers in his Department charged with the responsibility of preparing, tendering and awarding procurement contracts. [46275/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 157 and 158 together.

Currently the Department of Health operates a devolved procurement function whereby individual Units are responsible for carrying out their own procurement exercises. Staff in the Finance and IT Units are available to act in an advisory capacity i.e. they do not run any tender competitions directly but will liaise with and advise line units on their obligations when carrying out a procurement exercise. Due to this arrangement it would not be feasible to accurately calculate the proportion of Whole-Time-Equivalent staff numbers and corresponding staff costs relating to the preparing, tendering and awarding of procurement contracts.

The Department does not collect data which would allow it to answer the Deputy’s question regarding the employee numbers in businesses awarded contracts, however staff involved in procurement in the Department of Health must comply with all applicable EU and national procurement law and guidelines including DPER procurement circular 10/14 - Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement. The guidance in this circular is designed to further enable SMEs in competing for public contracts and is in line with EU policy on increased SME participation in public procurement.