22 Feb 2012, 17:20
Public procurement, the role of the National Procurement Agency in delivering savings for the State and the management of the public sector property portfolio will be the focus of the Committee of Public Accounts at its meeting tomorrow, Thursday, 23rd February.
Committee Chairman John Mc Guinness TD said: “We are spending in the region of €9 billion per year on goods and services. Tomorrow, we will be focusing on the National Procurement Agency (NPA) which was set up in 2009 to draw up central contracts for many of the common purchase items such as furniture, fuel, vehicles and electricity. A key element of tomorrow’s meeting will be on measuring the impact of the NPA – what analysis is undertaken by the NPA on the €9 billion spend and whether the NPA is delivering a saving to the State. The Committee is also concerned about the extent to which State agencies are still buying up to €70 million worth of goods and services without going to tender and the fact that a lot of expenditure is on professional services and these are outside the scope of the NPA.
The NPA has negotiated 41 framework contracts for goods and services worth an estimated €400 million. Under these contracts, individual departments and public bodies can purchase goods and services for the framework price. We will want to find out what are the expected savings from the 41 framework contracts and have any more been agreed in 2011. What feedback has the NPA got from public authorities on the success of these frameworks?
At tomorrow’s meeting we will also consider the management of the public sector property portfolio. The OPW has responsibility for construction, maintenance and the management of the State’s property portfolio. With the reduction in public sector numbers, the Committee will want to know what savings can be made in accommodation; what percentage of State-owned property is now lying idle and falling derelict; what are the final costs of decentralisation and the extent of leases entered where decentralisation is not going ahead.”
Clare Mc Grath the Chairman of the Commissioners of Public Works will attend the PAC tomorrow commencing tomorrow, 23rd February at 10am in Committee Room 1.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI
Ends
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
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Committee of Public Accounts
Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Paschal Donohoe,
Anne Ferris,
Simon Harris,
Michael McCarthy,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross