Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Government Departments Prompt Payment Returns report for quarter 1 of 2025 will be published by his Department; and whether any notable trends have been observed to date when compared to the quarter 1 figures from previous years. [35415/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for the preparation on a quarterly basis of a report showing the performance of each Government Department in meeting their obligation to make payments for goods and services within 15 days. The report also shows the performance of each Government Department to make payments for goods and services within 30 days, after which prompt payment interest and compensation for recovery costs may become payable.

My Department provides these reports on its website after collation of the information from each Department. The publication of the Q1 2025 report was delayed due to a technical matter but is now available:

enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/government-departments-prompt-payment-returns-2025.html

A review of the payment performance by Government Departments in respect of all invoices paid in each of the first quarters of the last 5 years (2021 to 2025 inclusive) shows an improvement in latter years in making payments for goods and services within the required 15 days. In the first quarters of 2024 and 2025, 82% of all invoices were paid within 15 days, compared to 74% in 2021, 76% in 2022 and 69% in 2023.

The payment of invoices by Government Departments within 30 days shows little change in the first quarters of the last 5 years. The total number of invoices paid within 30 days ranged in percentage terms from 95%-97%, with the exception being 2023, when 93% of invoices paid by Government Departments were within 30 days.

The number of invoices paid by Government Departments in the first quarters of the last 5 years ranged from the lowest number of 36,642 (2021) to the highest number of 50,187 (2023).

In March, Government agreed new measures to support effective delivery of the Public Sector’s obligation to pay its bills within 15 days. Officials from my Department recently established a Prompt Payment Officer network with representation from each Government Department. This network group recently met for the first time. The programme of work will include reviewing how improvements might be made to current processes including the system of reporting.