Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
441. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the oversight mechanisms in place within his Department to ensure that public procurement processes are protected from bid-rigging and cartel behaviour; whether any red-flag or data-screening systems are used across State procurement frameworks; and if he will provide details of same. [9323/26]
View answer442. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the Office of Government Procurement has issued guidance, training, or mandatory protocols to contracting authorities on identifying and responding to suspected cartel or collusive bidding behaviour; the date of the most recent guidance issued; and the level of compliance across Departments and State bodies. [9324/26]
View answer443. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department maintains or has access to centralised data on bidding patterns for large State contracts across sectors; whether such data is analysed for indicators of anti-competitive behaviour; and if he will outline any plans to strengthen data-driven oversight in this area. [9325/26]
View answer444. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has considered the fiscal risk posed to the Exchequer by cartel activity and bid-rigging in public procurement; whether this risk is reflected in any expenditure control, value-for-money, or public spending review processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9326/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 441, 442, 443 and 444 together.
As a division of my Department, the Policy, Service Delivery, eProcurement, Data, Analytics and Systems Division (OGP) is responsible for national public procurement policy, eProcurement, the national eTendering platform, service delivery, and data. The OGP engages on an ongoing basis with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The CCPC is the statutory body with responsibility for promoting compliance with, and enforcing, competition and consumer protection law in Ireland, including in relation to the detection and prevention of bid rigging.
At present, there is no formal automated mechanism in place to systematically identify or manage potential collusion between suppliers. In practice, buyers compare bids manually to identify any indications of collusive behaviour.
My Department assists buyers through the OGP’s Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services, directing them to the CCPC Business Guide for Detecting Bid Rigging. Where a buyer suspects bid rigging or any form of collusive tendering, such behaviour constitutes a serious infringement of competition law. In these instances, buyers are advised to report findings promptly to the CCPC.
OGP has engaged directly with the CCPC with a view to enhancing awareness of the CCPC’s role in competition protection among public sector practitioners and businesses. The CCPC is represented on the SME Advisory Group, which is chaired by the Minister of State.
A joint project is planned between OGP and the CCPC to provide the CCPC with controlled access to eTenders procurement data. This will enable the CCPC to deploy specialised analytical tools capable of identifying patterns indicative of bid rigging or supplier collusion.
Planning for this project is ongoing, with particular focus on GDPR and data sharing considerations, which must be fully resolved before access and automated analysis can proceed.
