Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 November 2013
136. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of occasions when a director of a State agency, the Irish Prison Service, established in 1999, has reported a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest in relation to procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48694/13]
View answerThe IPS is committed to the principles of fair and transparent procurement and achieving value for money. The primary goal of Procurement is to support the Irish Prison Service (IPS) in achieving its strategic objectives. The IPS Procurement Policy states that we must undertake procurement in a professional manner and to the highest ethical standard. The Procurement Policy aims to ensure corporate governance and to provide a clear, consistent and best practice approach to procurement in the IPS.
The IPS expenditure on non-pay items including suppliers, works and services amounts to approximately €98 million per annum. This expenditure extends across a diverse range of products that include highly complex building projects, security equipment, medicines, victualling, uniforms, professional services and ICT. Prior to 2007, the Irish Prison Service operated under the Department of Finance Public Procurement Guidelines Competitive Process 2004. Certain IPS posts which include Directors are designated as ones which are subject to the requirements of Section 18 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. The Department of Finance Circular 4/2002 sets out obligations under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001.
Since July 2007 when the Code of Standards and Behaviour was published and included specific requirements in relation to the disclosure of conflicts of interest, it has been the policy for the Irish Prison Service to require members of Evaluation Boards to declare if they have a conflict or potential conflict of interest in relation to procurement. This approach is enshrined in the IPS Procurement Policy that was first published in September 2008 and the updated Policy in April 2012. There has been no occasion when a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest has been reported by a current Director of the Irish Prison Service in relation to Procurement.
