Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 329 and 331 of 24 June 2025, to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, which confirmed that responsibility for analysing collapsed or re-run procurement competitions rests with individual contracting authorities, if his Department has estimated or recorded the number of procurement competitions since 2019 that did not result in a contract award due to insufficient submissions, legal challenges, disqualification of bidders, or internal cancellation, recorded or estimated the administrative or financial cost associated with collapsed or re-run procurement competitions during the same period and undertaken any analysis on the underlying reasons for failed competitions and the extent to which outcomes might be improved through better planning, clearer specifications, earlier market engagement, or other procurement reforms; and if not, if his Department will now consider putting in place such monitoring systems, in light of the administrative cost and service delays associated with failed procurement procedures. [40738/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the number of procurement competitions run by the Department of the Taoiseach that did not result in a contract being awarded is not routinely collated by the Department.

All procurement within the Department of the Taoiseach is conducted in accordance with applicable EU and national regulations and Office of Government Procurement (OGP) guidelines. The Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services, published by the OGP, provides comprehensive guidance on the various stages of the procurement process from specification, through to selection and awarding of contracts.

A small number of procurement competitions are run by the Department each year and the Department's Finance Unit offers support and guidance to all business units in relation to procurement. The Department's Corporate Procurement Plan outlines procedures and responsibilities for procurement of goods and services, as well as a requirement for in-house procurement training for employees of the Department. This training is routinely provided by the Department's Finance Unit. A Contracts Database is in place to track and monitor all contracts entered into by the Department.

A Procurement Advisory Group (PAG) also meets regularly throughout the year in the Department. The PAG is chaired by the Head of Corporate Affairs (Principal Officer level) and its membership comprises officials from Finance Unit, Internal Audit Unit and from business units in the Department that generate the bulk of purchasing and procurement activity. The PAG provides advice and guidance to business units across the Department and addresses any issues raised in respect of procurement.