Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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551. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to detail the total expenditure on public procurement by her Department and its agencies, including spending on goods, services and works acquired through public procurement processes, in each of the past five years, in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13554/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for procurement activity. Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contracts awarded represent best value for money.

Public procurement practices are subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993. Procurement is also subject to internal audit within my Department.

Department of Finance Circular 40/02 requires Government Departments and Offices to submit an annual report to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General for contracts above €25,000 (exclusive of VAT) awarded without a competitive process by 31 March of the following year and details of contracts awarded by my Department without the use of a competitive process are outlined in the Department’s Appropriation Accounts.

In addition, Circular 09/2024 sets out a new annual reporting requirement relating to the use of centralised procurement arrangements. The report will identify any contracts for goods or services, valued more than €143,000 (exclusive of VAT), where a central procurement arrangement has not been used. My Department is currently preparing its 2024 return for submission in advance of the deadline of 1 July next.

Circular 05/2023 sets out that all public procurement tenders, where they have an estimated value above specified national thresholds, must be advertised on the national electronic tendering platform (eTenders).

I have been informed by my Department after consulting with agencies under its aegis that it is not possible to retrieve the granular level of detail of information for total expenditure on public procurement, for the period requested across the Department and agencies under its aegis. I have been informed that to collate this information would involve a disproportionate amount of time and resources.