Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1265. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the frequency with which a procurement audit been carried out at each prison to ensure value for money; when this was last done; and the person or body that signed off on these audits. [15318/21]
View answerThe Deputy will wish to be aware that the Irish Prison Service has a dedicated procurement unit in place that supports good procurement practice across the Service.
A significant proportion of procurement is managed centrally from Prison Service headquarters.
A broad range of goods and services are procured which includes, catering goods, utilities, capital works, maintenance, ICT and staff and prisoner clothing.
The centralisation of these procurements allows for the standardisation of the process and also assists in achieving value for money by bringing larger volumes of goods and services to the market. The tender competitions between service providers helps to deliver value for money as tenders are awarded based on a combination of cost and quality.
The Prison Service is also supported by the Office of Government Procurement in the delivery of its procurement function. There were no specific stand-alone Procurement Audits carried out, however the Internal Audit Unit in the Department of Justice/Irish Prison Service conducts audits in a sample of Prisons on an annual basis.
These audits examine a broad range of processes (financial and other controls) and include a consideration of procurement processes.
In 2020, three prisons were examined and a further three prisons are currently being reviewed in 2021. My Department and the Prison Service are commissioning an external review of procurement structures and practises during 2021, to further support the strengthening of the procurement function into the future.
