Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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696. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number and value of contracts that underwent post-award variations; the net value change as a percentage of original awards, by CPV/category; and the three most common drivers of variation identified, for 2022–2024. [60946/25]

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 all procurement activity.

The public procurement practices of contracting authorities are subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993. The procurement practices of contracting authorities within the Justice Vote (Vote 24) are also subject to internal audit.

Where my Department are making significant post-award variations to contracts, it is by extending beyond the expiry date of the contract, generally to facilitate a new tendering process. My Department makes an annual return to the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of contracts above the applicable threshold which are awarded without a competitive process. These post-award contract extensions are captured in this return.

It has not been possible to provide the breakdown of information requested by the Deputy. However, information including the value of these non-compliant extensions, and how non-compliance is being addressed, is available in the Procurement section of the Departments annual Appropriation Accounts, which are published on the website of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General at www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/.

The categories of service relating to these contracts are varied but my Department’s records indicate that the following categories arise most frequently:

• Interpretation and Translation Services
• Financial Technical Services
• Facilities Management Services
• I.T Infrastructure Support and Maintenance Services

(i) Insignificant variations allowed under procurement rules where there are no additional reporting requirements

(ii) Variations by way of contract extensions, in order to allow new procurement processes, as reported annually in the Appropriation Account

(iii) Variations to allow for the prior establishment of related facilities by extending an existing contract. Variations of this sort are also reported in the Appropriation Account when they occur.