Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

324. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the changes he plans to make in relation to public procurement procedures. [14905/20]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government has set out a number of commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to public procurement including evaluating and managing the environmental, economic and social impacts of procurement strategies within the state, developing and implementing a sustainable procurement policy and tasking the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) to update all procurement frameworks in line with green procurement practice.

This is in line with work already underway by the OGP which has been developing proposals on the refinement of the procurement reform programme following consultation with our colleagues across Government and industry. The OGP is striving to enhance public procurement, building on the progress to date, with a more strategic focus and greater emphasis on sustainability, social responsibility, SME access, innovation, digitalisation and professionalisation.

I, along with my colleagues in Government, will be considering how best to implement the commitments in the Programme for Government. Minister of State Smyth and I have met with the Chief Procurement Officer and will be having further discussions with the OGP in this regard.