Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 November 2020
277. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department and any commercial or non-commercial State bodies and private entities subsidised by 50% or more of public funding under the aegis of his Department have implemented social clauses in their public procurement contracts in the past three years (details supplied); and if so, the nature of these social clauses. [39042/20]
View answerMy Department ensures that there is an appropriate focus on good practice in procurement and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with relevant guidelines and legislation. Social clauses cover a broad range of considerations and include for example labour standards, training for young people and environmental sustainability.
EU and national rules promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers value for money. These rules require suppliers to comply with social, environmental and labour laws.
My Department takes appropriate measures to ensure that in the performance of public contracts economic operators comply with applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law. Suppliers obligations under social, environmental and labour laws are included in my Department's tender documents for procuring goods and services with an estimated value of over €25,000. All such tenderers are required to make declarations in relation to compliance with social, environmental and labour laws.
In October 2019, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued Circular 20/2019 Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement. My Department considers the use of verifiable environmental criteria in the procurement process where appropriate.
In 2020, my Department has awarded two contracts for (1) a Social Farming Network and (2) a Programme for Nascent Rural Female Entrepreneurial Development. Funding for these projects comes from the Rural Innovation Development Fund.
Procurement is an operational matter for bodies that come under the aegis of my Department.
