Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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70. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the previous tender for the provision of external workplace investigation services for Departments and other public bodies established in March 2015 provides for scenarios (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24714/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, carried out a competitive tender process for the establishment of a Framework Agreement for the provision of External Workplace Investigation Services, available to central government departments and other public bodies. This framework went live in March 2015 and expired in March 2019. Mediation services were not included.

Separately, the OGP conducted a tender process to establish a Framework Agreement for Receipt and Investigation of Protected Disclosures.  This framework includes service providers that can provide third party investigative and recipient services to public bodies seeking to meet their obligations under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. This Framework went live in April 2018.

While the OGP facilitated competitions under these frameworks for both Central Government and non-Central Government bodies, the particular scenarios giving rise to investigations required by individual public bodies and any subsequent contracts are a matter for the relevant Contracting Authority.