My Department strives to ensure that there is an appropriate focus on best procurement practice and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines to the greatest extent possible.
Where exceptions do arise, as provided for under the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 40/02, the Department provides the details of such instances to the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The details of any instances that arose in 2018 and 2019 are included in the Statement on Internal Financial Control which forms part of the Annual Appropriation Accounts published by the Comptroller and Auditor General at https://www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2019/vote-33-culture-heritage-and-the-gaeltacht.pdf and https://www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2020/vote-33-culture-heritage-and-the-gaeltacht.pdf
Details pertaining to any instances which arose in 2020 and may arise for 2021 will be contained in my Department’s Annual Appropriation Account for the years in question which will fall to be published by the Comptroller and Auditor General in due course.
Procurement within the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for which the bodies themselves are responsible.
