Written Answers Nos. 327-346
327. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the cost breakdown for works to be carried out in Garda stations in Wicklow (details supplied) to remove asbestos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34508/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW will respond Directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
328. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the timeline for when concerns were first raised the Garda stations (details supplied) in Wicklow had asbestos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34709/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW will reply Directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
329. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department or the Office of Government Procurement collects or maintains data on public procurement competitions that collapse without a contract award, either due to lack of submissions, failure to meet requirements, or legal challenges; and if so, the number and proportion of collapsed or abandoned competitions over the past five years, broken down by year and by contracting authority type (for example, Government Department, local authority, State agency). [33629/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe data available to my department, in particular to the Office of Government Procurement through the eTenders platform data, provides information in relation to the number of submissions received for competitions published on eTenders. Data is also available on the number of competitions that have published a contract award notice on the platform. My department does not however have access to data that provides information in relation to the reasons why competitions have not progressed to a contract award stage. As such, my department is not in a position to provide the data requested in relation to collapsed or abandoned competitions.
330. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if eTenders includes functionality to systematically track procurement competitions that were advertised but for which no award notice was ever published; and if not, whether this data gap is being addressed given the importance of understanding failure rates in public procurement and improving efficiency and bidder confidence. [33631/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2016 Regulations made mandatory the use of electronic procurement (eprocurement) in all procurement procedures. eTenders as the national eprocurement platform allows contracting authorities meet their obligations in this regard. In terms of notices, the Regulations mandated the items below:
• Mandatory enotification and electronic access to tender documents.
• Mandatory submission of tenders and requests.
My Department recognises the importance of the publication of outcomes of procurement procedures to encouraging market participation in public procurement, to help inform policy development, to help shape procurement services and in terms of general transparency. To that end, under Circular 05/2023, contracting authorities are required to publish contract award information for all procurements over €25,000 (exclusive of VAT) on eTenders.
My department, through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) also take every opportunity to communicate the importance of this step in the public procurement process with our sector partners and public bodies in general. This is done through the various forums, events and publications hosted, supported and issued by the OGP.
The eTenders platform facilitates and enables contracting authorities to electronically manage their procurement procedures from publication of contract notice through to award notice.
While eTenders includes functionality to publish contract award notices on eTenders, it is the responsibility of individual contract authorities to meet their obligations in that regard. The duration between some steps in the procurement process can vary for a number of valid reasons, in particular between publication of the contract notice and the award notice. As such, conclusions cannot always be definitively drawn that the absence of an award notice for represents a data gap for any given procurement procedure.
Cross-departmental work is currently underway to help assess the extent to which there is a gap in contract award notice data in relation to competitions published on eTenders and consider steps to help reduce the gap.
Public procurement practices are subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993, and the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Individual Accounting Officers are responsible for ensuring that their public procurement functions are discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and procedures and are publicly accountable for expenditure incurred. Individual contracting authorities are responsible for establishing arrangements for ensuring the proper conduct of their affairs, including conformance to standards of good governance and accountability with regard to procurement.
331. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department has estimated the administrative or financial cost of collapsed or re-run procurement competitions; and if any analysis has been undertaken on the reasons for such failures and how they could be prevented through improved planning, market engagement, or procedural reform. [33632/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIndividual Accounting Officers are responsible for ensuring that their public procurement functions are discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and procedures and are accountable for expenditure incurred. Individual Contracting Authorities are responsible for establishing arrangements for ensuring the proper conduct of their affairs, including conformance to standards of good governance and accountability with regard to public procurement. Any responsibility for analysis of the reasons behind collapsed or re-run procurement competitions, including any estimation of the administrative or financial cost rests with the individual Contracting Authorities.
To assist Contracting Authorities in the conduct of procurement procedures, my department has published extensive guidance material for Contracting Authorities, including the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services and the Capital Works Management Framework. These guidance materials outline the various stages of the procurement process from specification, through to selection and award stages. They provide comprehensive guidance on ensuring the specifications fully and accurately capture the requirements; and identify the risks of poor specification and the challenges that this can cause Contracting Authorities.
My department also publishes information notes to assist Contracting Authorities and public buyers in promoting better procurement practice in their organisations. Examples of these include notes on Corporate Procurement Plans, the role of the Procurement Officer and guidance on preliminary market consultations. These notes are hosted on the Office of Government Procurement website.
332. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department has a designated head of procurement; if each agency or public body under his Department’s remit also has a designated head of procurement; and if so, to list those entities, along with the name or grade of the person holding that role. [33646/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, ultimate responsibility for public procurement within the Department, like all matters of financial management, falls to the Secretary General as Accounting Officer. However, the Deputy may also be aware that, under Circular 40/02, all Departments are required to appoint a Procurement Officer. In that context, the Procurement Officer in my Department is Gillian Keane, who is a Grade 1 Accountant.
The position with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the tables below.
|
Public Body |
Name of Procurement Officer |
Grade |
|
Public Appointments Service |
Paul Byrne |
Higher Executive Officer |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
Stephanie Duffy |
Assistant Principal Officer |
|
State Laboratory |
Brian McDermott |
Assistant Principal Officer |
|
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery |
Sineád O’Brien |
Higher Executive Officer |
|
National Shared Services Office |
Andrew Devine |
Assistant Principal Officer |
|
Office of Public Works |
Head of Corporate Services Unit – name TBD based on recent staff changes |
Principal Officer |
333. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of staff within his Department and its agencies who hold a formal procurement qualification or certification (for example, CIPS, NFQ Level 6 or higher in procurement, EU public procurement training), broken down by organisation, in tabular form. [33664/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not maintain a compulsory central register of the qualifications of staff, so it is not possible to provide all of the detailed information requested. However, in the following reply, I have sought to provide the Deputy with as much information as possible, including some wider background context.
It is important to note that there is no one recognised EU Public Procurement Qualification. There are a large number of procurement qualifications and courses available and there is no one particular course which is endorsed, favoured or preferred by the Department. My Department supports staff to undertake these qualifications through its overall programme of Learning and Development. In that context, since 2018, staff have undertaken a number of procurement specific courses, supported by the Department:
|
Course |
Number of staff |
|
Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law - King’s Inns* |
57 |
|
Certificate in Public Procurement - IPA |
117 |
|
Professional Diploma In Public Procurement - IPA |
30 |
*King’s Inns Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law is a professional development course (CPD) and it is accredited independently by The Honourable Society of King’s Inns.
Some of these staff may have left the Department since taking a course. In addition, some staff may already have taken these or other relevant courses before joining the Department. The Department's recruitment campaigns refer to such qualifications as desirable rather than mandatory.
Beyond these particular courses, some staff have taken shorter Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses in the basics of procurement. In addition, many staff would have qualifications (Degrees, Masters) in areas which may include procurement as part of the curriculum. These qualifications would include: business management, economics, finance, accountancy, etc. Four staff currently in the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), a division of the Department, have completed the Public Procurement Excellence course accredited by WU Executive Academy (Vienna University of Economics and Business).
Regarding the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), I wish to advise the Deputy that the OGP received its Corporate Ethical Kite Mark in 2025.
More generally, my Department is investigating the suitability and feasibility of creating a public procurement technical skills framework, and the potential application of any such framework with a view to further strengthening commercial and procurement capabilities. Identifying and developing technical procurement competencies and commercial skills will leverage the supports available from relevant learning institutions and industry bodies. There are a range of procurement courses offered by various educational institutions and private sector training bodies and it is a matter for each Department and agency to address their specific training through their own learning and development policies and practices.
Finally, the information requested by the Deputy with regard to the bodies under the aegis of the Department is set out in the table below.
|
Public Body |
CIPS |
NFQ Lvl 6 Procurement |
EU Public Procurement Training |
|
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Public Appointments Service |
0 |
0 |
1 staff member – Certificate in Public Procurement (Professional Development (CPD) Certificate) |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
State Laboratory |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
National Shared Services Office |
0 |
2 staff members – - Level 8 (Professional Diploma in Public Procurement) - Level 6 (Higher Certificate in Public Procurement. |
0 |
|
Office of Public Works* |
2 staff members |
5 staff members - Professional Diploma in Public Procurement (Institute of Public Administration) (1) - Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement (Kings Inns) (4) |
0 |
* The OPW is committed to investing in the upskilling of its staff in the area of procurement, and has secured 12 places on the Institute of Public Administration, IPA, Certificate in Public Procurement Level 6 course commencing in September, to further invest in this important area. Alongside the offerings from the Office of Government Procurement, OPW staff are supported to attend Public Procurement learning opportunities, as well as ‘on the job’ learning from others within the course of their duties. Since 2023, 165 OPW employees have been funded to attend Public Procurement courses and conferences from external providers.
334. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department and each agency or public body under its remit uses a formal contract management system or procurement tracking platform; to list the systems in use; and if they are centrally monitored or independently operated. [33682/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy for my Department and the bodies under its aegis is set out in the table below.
|
Public Body |
Formal Contract Management System |
Procurement Tracking Platform |
Centrally Monitored |
Independently Operated |
|
Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation |
Yes - FMSS (Financial Management Shared Services System) |
Yes - Oracle |
Yes |
No |
|
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Public Appointments Service |
No (The system in use (OpenDocMan) does flag contract expiry dates) |
Yes - OpenDocMan |
Yes |
No |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
State Laboratory |
Yes - e-Tenders |
Yes - e-Tenders and Paradigm |
Yes |
Yes |
|
National Shared Services Office |
Yes - Oracle E Business Suite |
Yes - Oracle E Business Suite |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Office of Public Works |
Yes - no one specific Contract Management System, various business units of the organisation use different systems |
Yes - eTenders |
Yes |
No |
335. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if there are any formal competency frameworks or mandatory qualification requirements in place for public servants working in procurement roles across Government Departments and agencies; and to provide data on compliance or progress toward professionalising the procurement function across the public service. [33688/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not identified mandatory qualification requirements for public servants working in procurement roles across Government Departments and agencies.
The Civil Service Competency Framework supports development of the relevant skills needed by civil and public servants, and further supports capability building for individuals across all roles responsible for delivering on behalf of our Government and the people of Ireland.
My Department supports procurement functions and practice for public servants working in procurement roles across Government Departments and agencies through a range of activities designed to support compliance and strengthen procurement skills and capabilities, such as:
• My Department published an Information note in January 2019 addressing the Procurement Officer Role. The purpose of this information note is to outline the role of a Procurement Officer in organisations that carry out public procurement and identifies the policy and governance context for Procurement Officers, with regard to the National Public Procurement Policy Framework.
• A number of initiatives undertaken at a national level by the OGP to enable better public procurement practice include continuous ongoing enhancements to the suite of guidance for public buyers and suppliers, template tender and contract documents, the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services update Version 3, the development of a digital Green Public Procurement Criteria Search tool, the publication of circular 05/2023 to support SME participation and the launch of the new national eTenders platform.
• The OGP promotes ongoing and active engagement with the wider public sector through a range of stakeholder events aimed at fostering awareness and promoting compliance with the public procurement regime in addition to a programme of client-facing events. This programme consists of:
• Information Sessions on central arrangements
• Procurement Officer Networks forums
• Bi-annual Client Conference
• My Department has published a wide range of training, guidance and reference information and resources which is made available online, to help public procurement staff use the eTenders platform and comply with the procedures and policies that govern public procurement in Ireland. This ranges from detailed guidance documents to short task-specific video tutorials to facilitate self-paced learning. My Department also provides direct support to civil and public bodies in relation to public procurement matters through the OGP Support service and the various in-person and online events that are either hosted or supported by the OGP.
• In support of the delivery of the Capital Works Management Framework, the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2024, the Commercial Skills Academy offer practical training to both developing and experienced practitioners. The training offerings include modular eLearning courses, information sessions, communities of practice networks and classroom training, providing procurement practitioners with an understanding of key issues, commercial skills, and best practice approaches for effective project delivery throughout the entire lifecycle of a public works project.
Finally, my Department is investigating the suitability and feasibility of creating a public procurement technical skills framework, and the potential application of any such framework with a view to further strengthening commercial and procurement capabilities. Identifying and developing technical procurement competencies and commercial skills will leverage the supports available from relevant learning institutions and industry bodies. There are a range of procurement courses offered by various educational intuitions and private sector training bodies and it is a matter for each Department and agency to address their specific training through their own learning and development policies and practices.
336. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if there are any requirements or standards for Departments and agencies to use contract management systems to manage public procurement projects post-award. [33689/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach Accounting Officer is responsible for the monitoring of performance of public contracts under his or her remit and for ensuring that the public procurement function is efficiently and effectively discharged in line with standard accounting and procurement rules and procedures to deliver maximum value for money for the taxpayer.
My department has responsibility for public procurement policy and sets the overarching policy framework for public procurement in Ireland. This enables a more consistent approach to public procurement across the public sector. My department has published the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the public procurement regulations. The guidelines are designed to improve consistency and promote best practice in the application of the public procurement rules to deliver best value for money. These guidelines specifically address the importance of active management by contracting authorities of contracts to maximise value for money and describes actions that should be taken in managing contracts.
My department is also responsible for management of the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). The CWMF is an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material and technical procedures which covers all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project from inception to final project delivery and review. The structure of this strategic framework is closely aligned with and complements the Infrastructure Guidelines developed by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
The comprehensive and detailed guidance notes are intended for the guidance of Sponsoring Agencies embarking on capital works projects. The roles of the Sanctioning Authorities and any external consultants appointed in relation to capital works projects are also considered.
Furthermore, the Commercial Skills Academy provide a range of training solutions on aspects of the CWMF to public servants.
The CWMF is for use by contracting authorities involved in the expenditure of public funds on construction projects and related consultancy services. The use of the framework should result in a more cost-effective delivery of public works projects because of its systematic and detailed approach to, among other things, planning (both preparatory and detailed), capital budgeting as well as design and construction cost control.
337. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department plans to publish the next edition of the Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis Report, covering 2020 or subsequent years; if not, the reasons for the delay or discontinuation of this reporting series, given that the most recent report, covering 2019 was published in 2022 and brought important transparency to public procurement activity, including findings on the proportion of State spending retained within the country (details supplied); the timeline for when the next report will be made publicly available; and the technical, methodological, or resourcing issues that may be preventing its publication. [33690/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2013 my department, through the OGP has liaised with a sample of public service bodies to gather data on procurement addressable expenditure from across the public service to support the provision of public procurement sourcing services and inform policy development in this area. This data was also used, on an aggregated basis, as the basis for the ‘Spend Data’ component of an annual ‘Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis’ report. The other component of the report being ‘Tendering Analysis’, used data captured via the national electronic tendering platform, eTenders. The OGP has published seven such Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis Reports for 2013 – 2019.
Following the introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation and associated amendments to national data protection legislation in 2018, and due to the potential for procurement addressable expenditure data to contain personal data, following the completion of the 2019 data report, the OGP ceased the collection of said data from public bodies. This decision was taken on foot of legal advices at that time. Subsequent to this, the OGP were engaged with public sector bodies on a number of other significant events that required their cooperation and resources, in particular the design, implementation and transition to a new national electronic tendering platform.
While my department recognises the importance and benefit of having visibility of procurement addressable spend from across the public service, the OGP has no legal basis or ability to access that data. However, we are exploring options to address the data protection constraints that have arisen, the OGP also sees this as an opportunity to consider reviewing the overall approach and mechanism used to collect and process this type of data.
The process for the collection of procurement addressable expenditure data from a sample of public service bodies was carried out on a voluntary basis by those public bodies and involved the extraction of finance data from a multitude of different financial systems from across the public service. It required the public bodies involved to have inhouse ICT systems and data processing capabilities, the data was generated from a wide range of financial systems, in various formats and quality, and in some cases the process involved significant lead times to facilitate the completion of end-of-year financial accounting procedures before the information could be shared with the OGP. This raised a number of challenges in terms of processing the data and also resulted in a lag between the reporting period of the data and the publication timeline.
Given the new data protection considerations that have arisen, and the general challenges experienced in collecting and making the procurement addressable expenditure data available, the OGP are exploring new approaches to re-activating public procurement reporting that provides an overview of public procurement activity, with a greater focus initially on tendering data which is more readily available and within their control for processing. While a timeline is not currently available on this initiative, the OGP would be happy to advise as soon as a timeline becomes available. This initiative would build on the data the OGP already makes available publicly available such as online access to all tenders published via the eTenders platform and access to contracts awarded via the Government OpenData portal.
338. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the measures he is taking to ensure that public buildings comply with the energy performance of buildings directive; if he believes all public buildings will meet the 2028 deadline; to breakdown the number of public buildings that have been retrofitted to achieve this standard in each of the years 2015 to 2025, in tabular form; and to provide a breakdown of the number of buildings that do not meet this standard and the proportion of the total number of publicly owned buildings is this. [33761/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility, on behalf of the state, for managing and maintaining a substantial and complex estate portfolio. This includes office accommodation for all Government Departments, the property estate for An Garda Síochána and numerous properties for many State Agencies. However, this does not extend to all public buildings, with other bodies such as the Health Services Executive and Local Authorities, having large portfolios of public buildings under their remit.
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU) 2024/1975 was transposed into Irish law on 3rd January 2025 through Statutory Instrument No. 749/2024 – European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2024.
This directive forms a key part of the States strategy to its reduction of Greenhouse Gas emission reduction by 2030 and achievement of net zero by 2050.
This EPBD directive is a key legislative measure aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in buildings The requirements of the EPBD have also been included in the Climate Action Plan 2025 under which the OPW have obligations. To address these obligations the OPW is also a member of this Heat and Built Environment Task Force and the associated Public Sector Buildings Working Group. This working group is developing a Road Map report for Government to provide direction for decarbonisation of the public sector building stock.
While the EPBD introduces ambitious targets, not all public buildings are required to meet the requirements immediately. The EPBD outlines phased implementation measures to be introduced.
As a State Body, the OPW is committed to complying with Government policy and regulatory requirements under the EPBD. Key obligations for 2028 include:
• From 1st January 2028:
• All new public buildings owned by the OPW to be zero-emission buildings.
• New buildings require a calculated life cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP), in line with EPBD requirements.
• By 31st December 2027:
• Existing public buildings with a useful floor area greater than 750 m² must be assessed for the installation of suitable solar energy systems, where technically, economically, and functionally feasible.
To date, all new public buildings owned by the OPW have been designed to meet the Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standards, in line with the applicable Building Regulations and Technical Guidance Documents. These buildings include Deep Retrofit of Tom Johnson House, Office building at Leeson Lane, Walter Scott House for An Garda Síochána, Forensics Science Ireland Laboratory and the Government Data Centre, Backweston.
339. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide, in relation to commercial semi-State bodies which are permitted to undertake their own borrowing, a list of those semi-State bodies, along with their current borrowing limits, their current total borrowings and the source of these borrowings, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33795/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI do not hold the primary Ministerial responsibility for the borrowing capacity for any of the Commercial Semi State Bodies (CSSBs) and I am therefore unable to provide the deputy with the information she has requested.
It is usually a matter for the Government Department under whose aegis responsibility for individual CSSBs falls to respond to such enquiries. The Deputy might seek to refer this question to my Ministerial colleagues who hold responsibilities for the oversight of CSSBs.
340. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for a full list of all documents, reports, strategies, and resources that have been “unpublished” by his Department over the past ten years (details supplied), including all such materials that have been “unpublished” by divisions, sections and units of his Department that became part of the Minister’s Department following a transfer of functions; and who “unpublished” the materials under a different Minister or Department. [33812/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the gov.ie website is the key source of information on government and public services. Initially launched in 2018 by my Department, it aims to provide a much better user experience by thematically presenting and simplifying information about our public services to ensure that they are not only easy to find, but also easy to follow and navigate. Gov.ie is a trusted platform for Government communications, handling approximately 75 million page views in 2024 and was the key communications tool and information resource for the public during covid-19 in particular. The gov.ie information service now also incorporates the latest news and updates from government that were previously published on the merrionstreet.ie website.
I wish to inform the Deputy that the Gov.ie website underwent a major system upgrade in April 2025 with 183,707 pages migrated, along with 9,737 images and 133,925 documents. In a mass movement of web content, it is inevitable that some broken links will occur and that these will take time to identify and resolve. An audit conducted post-migration revealed less than 1% of all pages were affected by broken links. Any broken links were replaced with placeholder text, “Item has been unpublished or removed”, rather than returning an error. At that time, my Department alerted the relevant government departments and public service bodies to the broken links on their pages and resolution of the issue is ongoing by these organisations.
My Department is committed to the open publication of government information and I can assure the Deputy there is no coordinated campaign underway to suppress information nor has any systematic removal of links or documents taken place. The issue here is a technical one which is being actively worked on to resolve. Pending full resolution of this issue, if the Deputy or indeed any member of the public requires access to a particular document that is affected by this issue, they are welcome to contact relevant Government Departments.
341. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the OPW plans to install a passenger lift from the ground floor to the first floor at Dublin Castle; and if not, the reason. [33977/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is an existing passenger lift that connects the ground floor of the State Apartments in Dublin Castle with the first floor. This is available for use by the public.
There are no plans to provide an additional passenger lift.
342. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the OPW plans to have a chef recruitment campaign during Quarter three this year. [33978/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on current staffing levels, OPW does not currently intend to run a recruitment campaign for chefs in Q3 2025.
343. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the infrastructure projects being built or commissioned by his Department that are currently late in their delivery; and the infrastructure projects currently over budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34097/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDue to the nature of the role of my Department, it does not have any infrastructure projects being built or commissioned. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery.
In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has established an Infrastructure Division. The Division, which is led by a Deputy Secretary General, is focused on how the provision of core economic infrastructure in Ireland can be accelerated. The Division is working to identify the most critical barriers to infrastructure delivery and propose a series of high-impact reforms to remove these barriers. This work is overseen by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, which I chair and which is comprised of independent experts and ex-officio members from relevant commercial semi-state entities. Additionally, my Department has commenced a review of the NDP, which will be completed in July. The review will encompass all public capital investment and will utilise State funds to support increased capital investment levels in all regions.
344. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his department will consider providing amenities such as public lighting, picnic tables, information signage and QR codes to link to history at Ratoo Round Tower, Ballybuff, County Kerry; if he will provide a list of works carried out on the tower to date; if there are further works to be completed; if so, the timeframe involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34118/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works is continuing a programme of internal repair work at Rattoo Round Tower, National Monument Number 55. This work will continue throughout the rest of this year. Visitors will continue to be able to access the external areas to view this early ecclesiastical settlement site during this period. The works on the Tower involve the re-grouting and repointing of stonework and lime washing internally. An internal platform to facilitate height access for essential repairs in the future has also been carefully installed by the OPW Killarney National Monuments works team.
The OPW intends to provide new interpretation at the site however, there are no plans presently to provide other amenities such as picnic tables, seating or public lighting in this location. Such interventions would not be in-keeping with the historic fabric and setting of the site.
345. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will give detailed consideration to a recent briefing note of the Northern & Western Regional Assembly: Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region, June 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34166/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that I received and reviewed a copy of the Briefing Note - Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region from the Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly. I would also like to remind the Deputy that the responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with individual sponsoring Departments in each case. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery. Expenditure is therefore allocated and monitored on a Departmental basis and not a geographical basis.
Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. The Government has committed €165 billion of funding for capital investment under the NDP 2021-30. An additional €2.25 billion was allocated in 2024 as part of an update to the NDP which set out revised capital ceilings from 2024 to 2026. In Budget 2025, almost €15 billion was made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects along with €3 billion of funds from the sale of the State’s shareholding in AIB in June 2024. This level of expenditure is pivotal in consolidating the progress already made and in supporting balanced regional development to address key infrastructural bottlenecks more rapidly, and lead to further improvements in living standards and competitiveness.
Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the country, including in the Northern and Western region. The Government is committed to detailing progress on the delivery of the NDP at regular intervals to allow for full transparency of the implementation of Project Ireland 2040. This is achieved through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer, the latest version of which was published on 29 May. In addition, my Department publishes the Project Ireland 2040 Annual report and Regional reports highlighting Project Ireland 2040 achievements throughout the country.
Furthermore, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department has commenced a review of the NDP, which will be completed in July 2025. The review will encompass all public capital investment and will utilise State funds to support increased capital investment levels in all regions.
346. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the total cost incurred by his Department for the commissioning and completion of the recent audit and report prepared by a company (details supplied) in relation to the Leinster House bike shelter project; to outline the scope of the company’s engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34217/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the report by the Chairman of the OPW on the covered bicycle parking project, he requested Deloitte to conduct an internal audit review of matters related to OPW capital expenditure practices for elective projects less than €500,000. This review included, but was not limited to, a sample of one project, the Covered Bicycle Parking Project (the “Bike Shelter” project). This internal audit review was not an audit of the Bike Shelter project. The review focused on matters specific to capital expenditure practices for projects with a value less than €500,000 and considered how these practices applied to the Bike Shelter project.
The cost of the audit report was €20,500 ex Vat, which constitutes good value for money, given the scope of the work involved.
The Deloitte report presented findings and recommendations, which will enable the further development and implementation of processes in relation to capital expenditure on projects less than €500,000. The OPW has fully accepted and is actively implementing all recommendations identified in the independent report.
