Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 March 2022
446. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the guidance issued to State bodies or agencies encouraging the procurement of organic produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11298/22]
View answerThe Office of Government Procurement (OGP) is the office, operating under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is responsible for public procurement.
The broader guidance issued to public bodies is contained within the Action Plan on Green Public Procurement which falls within the remit of Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
Government consumption accounts for a sizeable part of economic activity and demand. This provides Ireland’s public sector with considerable leverage to stimulate the marketplace in favour of the provision of more resource-efficient, less polluting goods, services and works.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the aegis of DECC has issued updated guidelines in 2021 on Green Public Procurement, which incorporates Organic produce under Food and Catering Services
The Guidance is accompanied by Irish Green Public Procurement criteria for the ten priority sectors which have been developed, based on common EU criteria with adaptations to reflect the Irish market and procurement practices. These criteria are designed to be directly inserted into tender documents, and include information on how compliance can be confirmed, for example by reference to eco-labels or environmental product declarations.
