Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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141. To ask the Taoiseach the details of contracts of €25,000 or more that have been awarded by his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department and found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines from 1 January 2019 to date. [37806/20]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department liaises closely with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) on all matters related to public procurement and monitors all areas of expenditure on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved.

Under Department of Finance Circular 40/02, my Department makes annual returns to the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which are awarded without a competitive process. Contracts awarded without a competitive process are not necessarily non-compliant with procurement guidelines.

My Department's Finance Unit has not identified the awarding of any non-compliant contracts in 2019 and to date in 2020. Although there is active monitoring of expenditure, the 2020 position cannot be fully confirmed until the end of the year.

From the 1^stJanuary 2019 to date, the National Economic and Social Development Office, which is under the aegis of my Department, have not awarded any contracts over €25,000 that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines.