Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 November 2020
287. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department and any commercial or non-commercial State bodies and private entities subsidised by 50% or more of public funding under the aegis of her 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. [39055/20]
View answerI can confirm that Social Clauses, through public procurement processes, have been implemented by my Department and also by one entity under its aegis.
Public Libraries, which my Department has policy responsibility for, issued a call for proposals to library authorities in December 2019 for the provision of sensory facilities and equipment in public libraries.
The call advised that consideration be given to the inclusion of a social consideration clause that would encourage the engagement of Social Enterprises as part of the process of tendering for the supply of goods and services in this field. The call document provided examples of potential social consideration clauses that could be applied such as, reserved lots for social enterprises, or dedicated/weighted marks for social enterprise applicants.
My Department provided funding at a standard rate of 75% of total eligible costs incurred but the rate increased to 80% for library authorities who included a social consideration clause in their procurement process.
In response to the call, the Department received applications for 49 projects from 30 library authorities, all of which were approved, and six of the projects submitted by four library authorities (Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan x2, Westmeath x 2) included a social consideration clause.
Pobal, which works on behalf of Government is an agency under the aegis of my Department. It uses standard Office of Government Procurement contract templates. A key element in Pobal’s procurement strategy is to engage in socially responsible public procurement.
In September 2020, Pobal issued a new internal Procurement Policy with a “think social first” strategy whereby Pobal will ask if services or goods can be provided by a social enterprise or workshop. Also in 2021, Pobal’s new three-year Corporate Procurement Plan will set out target contracts that Pobal will aim for with regard to social enterprises to tender for.
