Public procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The rules are transposed into Irish law and apply to tenders for public contracts whose monetary value exceeds certain thresholds.
The National Public Procurement Policy Framework sets out the overarching policy for public procurement in Ireland. It sets out the procurement procedures to be followed by Government Departments and public bodies under national and EU rules. The Framework covers contracting authorities including individual Departments, Offices, commercial and non-commercial State bodies, and private entities which are subsidised 50% or more by a public body, when awarding contracts for goods and services.
However, it is a matter for individual contracting authorities to ensure that their public procurement function is discharged in line with their governance and accountability arrangements including procurement rules and procedures. While the OGP's policy framework and public procurement guidelines facilitate and enable compliance with public procurement rules, it is the responsibility of each contracting authority to ensure they adhere to these rules.
