2025-12-11

8. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding the national public procurement strategy review and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69083/25]

The programme for Government includes a commitment to reviewing the public procurement process to make it more transparent and encourage greater participation from SMEs. Working towards this aim, and to set out the strategic direction of public procurement for the next five years, my Department is developing a first national public procurement strategy. The strategy has been subject to an extensive consultation process, which has been critical to understanding the primary challenges and opportunities for both public bodies and suppliers. My Department undertook the following as part of the consultation for this strategy: a public consultation to ensure that all those with an interest in the future direction of public procurement had an opportunity to inform the new strategy; regional workshops in Dublin, Cork and Athlone, which included public buyers and policy makers from across the public sector, representation from across the broad spectrum of Irish business, representatives from civil society, and members of the public; a dedicated webinar for suppliers so they could feed into the development of the strategy; and bilateral meetings with Departments and key stakeholders. My officials are currently drafting the strategy in accordance with the feedback from the extensive consultation. Discussions with colleagues across Government and other key stakeholders will be held to agree desired outcomes and actions for inclusion in the strategy. Once finalised, the strategy will include objectives and cross-departmental actions to support the delivery of strategic, innovative, sustainable and transparent public procurement that promotes competition and value for money. I plan on bringing the strategy to the Government in quarter 1 of 2026.

I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the commitment in the programme for Government, which is very welcome. In order for public procurement to be effective, it needs to have the confidence of the people. The transparency committed to in the programme for Government is really important in that regard. Unfortunately, we are all aware of a number of projects that appeared to have lacked that transparency. I will not mention any projects on the Leinster House campus but even in my local authority area, there has recently been a bit of controversy around steps in Deer Park in Mount Merrion. The danger with that is that people feel public procurement is not effective or fair, which compromises the entire system. The most important thing in the commitment in the programme for Government is the greater involvement of SMEs. Public procurement has become hugely complex and hugely cumbersome and more and more difficult for small businesses to get involved in because of the rules around it. Will the Minister of State address what specific elements may be in the strategy to make it more accessible and easier for SMEs to get involved in public procurement contracts?

I am very conscious of the critical role that public procurement can play in maintaining and building public trust in government. Billions of euro are spent on public contracts every year and the public needs to be confident that its money is being spent in a judicious and fair manner. Likewise, suppliers need to be able to trust the integrity of the procurement system if we are to drive participation. We have had workshops. I have met many SMEs and stakeholders to ensure that this is dealt with by whatever is in the new procurement strategy. I am dealing with that at the moment.

I acknowledge that as well. I know the Minister of State and his predecessor are committed to making it easier. Is there a way in which we can reduce the bureaucratic burden that comes with some of this because, as important as public procurement processes are, particularly when it comes to ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and cutting down on waste, from what I have been told by businesses in my constituency in particular, there is a wasteful burden on them from the point of view of engaging with procurement processes? Is there a way in which we can reduce that burden on them while maintaining transparency and safeguards that ensure public money is spent correctly? Is there a way in which we can tell small businesses that there is a route for them into this that is less bureaucratic and cumbersome and more streamlined and, therefore, allows businesses to get on with what they do rather than filling out forms, and instead of trying to justify a process, we let them get on with the business of providing whatever service, construction or so on they provide?

It would not be appropriate for me to speculate about and predetermine the outcome of the current cross-governmental engagements, but my officials are engaging with discussions with colleagues across Government and other key stakeholders to agree desired outcomes and actions to support the delivery of strategic, innovative, sustainable and transparent public procurement that promotes competition and value for money. I look forward to working with them.