Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023
508. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the total value of procurement overseen by his Department and HSE as a central purchasing body; the percentage of compliant and non-compliant procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56171/23]
View answerMy Department liaises closely with the Office of Government Procurement on all matters related to public procurement and monitors all areas of expenditure on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved.
Under Department of Finance Circular 40/02, my Department makes annual returns to the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which are awarded without a competitive process. Contracts awarded without a competitive process are not necessarily non-compliant with procurement guidelines.
In 2022, my Department provided details of nineteen (19) non-competitive contracts with a total value of €8.6 million in the annual return in respect of circular 40/02.
My Department complied with guidelines and notified payments totalling €130,520 in respect of three contracts above the €25,000 threshold held without a competitive process. These contracts are listed in the annual return in respect of Circular 40/02 and are published in the 2022 Appropriation Account, which is available from the Comptroller and Auditor General here : www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2023/vote-38-health.pdf
Details of any non-compliant procurements identified in 2023 will be published in the Appropriation Account in 2024.
The Department publishes details of all procurements on a quarterly basis on its website at: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/b90bf2-health-policy-on-procurement/
Quarter 4, 2023 will be published on the website shortly.
In relation to contracts awarded by the HSE, as this is an operational matter, I have forwarded your query to the HSE and asked that they respond directly to you on this.
