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Departmental Contracts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Questions (1456)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

1456. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the process engaged by his Department when entering into contracts which have not been subject to tender issued related to Covid-19 since March 2020 and January 2021 to date; the parties involved; if legal contracts have been drawn up and signed in all cases; if hard copies of all contracts have been retained; the data retention policy in relation to such contracts; if details of all contracts are retained and available to Dáil Éireann for transparency and accountability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63306/21]

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Written answers

All procurement within my Department is carried out in compliance with relevant National and EU policy and legislation, and is operated on a devolved basis whereby individual units carry out their own procurement exercises. My Department advertises, where possible, all contracts valued in excess of €25,000 (excl. VAT) on the eTenders website.

As the lead Department in the response to global pandemic, Covid-19 necessitated rapid responses for the provision of critical services.  In these exceptional circumstances and in compliance with EU legislation, derogations applied from the requirement to undertake full procurement exercises.  This was the case for some contracts in response to the unprecedented global pandemic and the public health crisis that it caused in Ireland. 

In these situations, procurements were made on the basis of immediacy of requirement and ability to provide services within an urgent timeframe.  Prior notification was required to be provided to the Procurement Officer, with approval for the procurement at Management Board level.

In relation to these services, as they were required as a matter of urgency in response to the national public health emergency and for limited periods, formal contracts were not always signed. In these cases, communications between my Department and the suppliers sets out the agreed requirements.

Due to the unprecedented duration of the pandemic, it was necessary to continue a number of these contracts for longer than had been originally anticipated. My Department has since undertaken tender exercises in respect of these services, while other short term services have been fulfilled and ceased.

All documentation in respect of procurement processes and contracts are recorded by my Department as a matter of course and are retained in line with relevant legislation.

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