Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the public service benchmarking exercise used in bundles 1 and 2 of the social housing public private partnerships. [25492/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is an essential part of any PPP project. It contains commercially sensitive information in relation to the methodology used for costing public sector projects and for the pricing of risks by public sector bodies. In accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines (Guidelines for the use of Public Private Partnerships), the final PSB, or any elements thereof, is not made public during the tendering process nor where it is intended to procure further similar projects in the near future (e.g. subsequent project bundles as part of an ongoing PPP programme).

Bundles 1 and 2 of the PPP programme are now completed and my Department and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) are currently working with the relevant Local Authorities to progress Bundle 3 of the PPP programme. The NDFA, in its role as procuring authority and financial advisor, and Dublin City Council, as lead local authority and Sponsoring Agency, are currently finalising the design and planning phases of Bundle 3 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. My Department has also commenced rolling out a new Programme of PPPs for the delivery of social housing under Housing for All.

As Bundle 3 will follow the same structure as Bundles 1 and 2 and given the potential impact on value for money for the State, it is not appropriate to release the PSB for Bundles 1 and 2 at this time. However, the Department of Public Expenditure has agreed, in the interest of transparency and timing, that the PSB may be published when the tender process for Bundle 3 has been finalised and the contract is awarded. It is anticipated that the tender process for Bundle 3 will commence in Q2 2022.