Jonathan O'Brien
Question:155. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the number of contracts tendered to businesses of 50 employees and less in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [46272/18]
View answerThursday, 8 November 2018
Questions (155, 157, 158)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:157. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the number of procurement officers in his Department charged with the responsibility of preparing, tendering and awarding procurement contracts. [46274/18]
View answerJonathan O'Brien
Question:158. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the annual cost of procurement officers in his Department charged with the responsibility of preparing, tendering and awarding procurement contracts. [46275/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 157 and 158 together.
Currently the Department of Health operates a devolved procurement function whereby individual Units are responsible for carrying out their own procurement exercises. Staff in the Finance and IT Units are available to act in an advisory capacity i.e. they do not run any tender competitions directly but will liaise with and advise line units on their obligations when carrying out a procurement exercise. Due to this arrangement it would not be feasible to accurately calculate the proportion of Whole-Time-Equivalent staff numbers and corresponding staff costs relating to the preparing, tendering and awarding of procurement contracts.
The Department does not collect data which would allow it to answer the Deputy’s question regarding the employee numbers in businesses awarded contracts, however staff involved in procurement in the Department of Health must comply with all applicable EU and national procurement law and guidelines including DPER procurement circular 10/14 - Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement. The guidance in this circular is designed to further enable SMEs in competing for public contracts and is in line with EU policy on increased SME participation in public procurement.
Question No. 156 answered with Question No. 154.
Question No. 159 answered with Question No. 149.