Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

118. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform whether the new public procurement strategy will encourage social enterprises to bid for Government business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27692/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Developing Ireland’s first national public procurement is a key priority for me and my department. Consultation and collaboration are central to ensuring we are developing a strategy that works for all of those involved. With that aim in mind, my department launched a public consultation in March to ensure that all those with an interest in the future direction of public procurement have an opportunity to inform the new strategy. This consultation, which was carried out by way of an online survey, closed on 20 May. My department received significant engagement from Irish businesses, including social enterprises. My department also held workshops in Dublin and Cork on 12 and 16 May respectively, which included participants from the social enterprise sector.

My officials are currently reviewing the submissions to the public consultation and the insights garnered from the workshops. This feedback will be brought into the next phase of consultation which will involve discussions with key departments and stakeholders to agree desired outcomes and actions for inclusion in the strategy. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate at this stage and predetermine the outcome of the extensive consultation being undertaken by my department. That said, one of the foundational policy positions of the strategy is to make participation in public procurement easier for suppliers, particularly micro and small businesses and social enterprises.

In recent years, my department has implemented several initiatives to encourage SMEs, including social enterprises, to sell to government. In 2023, my department provided guidance to public bodies on measures they can take to promote the participation of SMEs in public procurement. The Department has published a suite of information for public bodies promoting the use of socially responsible public procurement which includes measures to promote the participation of social enterprises. The Department has also published information for suppliers, which includes a dedicated section on social enterprises, which is aimed at promoting public procurement as a business opportunity through the provision of accessible guidance and resources. Building on the work undertaken to date, through the strategy, I am keen to explore further ways to make public procurement more accessible for SMEs, including social enterprises, and I will work with colleagues across government to this aim.