Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
286. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the procurement reform programme overseen by the Interim Procurement Reform Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18892/20]
View answerThe programme for public procurement reform commenced in 2013 as part of the overall public sector reform programme. A new public procurement model was established to deliver a more-centralised model of procurement for commonly sourced goods and services across the public service.
The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established in 2014 to drive the reform programme through the provision of policy interventions, advice and guidance, through the development of procurement solutions such as framework agreements, and through the analysis of public expenditure and tendering activity. Since then, significant progress has been made in enabling value-for-money, supporting compliant procurement, promoting SME participation, increasing communication and guidance, professionalising the practice of public procurement, and promoting transparency. Results from an independent survey of Government Departments and public bodies in 2018 recorded a high level of satisfaction with the services of the OGP.
The interim Procurement Reform Board (the Board) brings together representatives from across the OGP’s client bodies, its sector partners in Health, Education, Local Government and Defence, as well as independent external representatives. The Board oversees the procurement reform programme across the public service and the work of the OGP and promotes engagement with the new arrangements. The head of OGP, who is Government’s Chief Procurement Officer, is also a member of the Board. In 2019, the Board presented an annual report detailing its work in 2018 to me and I have published it. The Board expects to present its annual report for 2019 in the near future and I will again publish that.
Under the guidance of the Board, the OGP is leading on further possible reforms and is considering, through recent consultation with Government Ministers and Departments, its sector partners and industry stakeholders, refinements to the national model to continue to improve public procurement across government. The feedback from this stakeholder engagement will help to inform such proposals. My colleague, the Minister of State with special responsibility for Public Procurement, and I will engage with our colleagues in Government on them in due course.
