Written Answers Nos. 183-203
183. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on the status of the Financial Management Shared Service Project; the outcome of the full review of the potential indicative cost to complete; when it will be applied across all Votes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65981/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NSSO's Financial Management Shared Service (FMSS) programme has been operational since April 2022 and currently provides a range of financial management and accounting services to 16 Public Service Bodies (PSBs) through a single, standardised financial management platform.
The programme is designed to modernise financial management across the public and civil service by replacing legacy systems, standardising financial processes and improving the quality, consistency and availability of financial information for PSBs. It also supports the wider objective of strengthening financial governance and building the capability required to support the ongoing transition towards accrual-based financial management and reporting.
The programme has transitioned to an operational and change management approach, and the operational deployment of the FMSS programme is currently under consideration by my Department. Future funding decisions for the programme will be considered through the annual Estimates process, with full oversight by Government and Dáil Éireann.
184. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he has received a pre-Budget submission (details supplied); if he will give consideration to the asks therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65989/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAhead of the Budget, as Minister for Public Expenditure I receive pre-Budget Submissions from a large number of stakeholders, organisations and individuals on a wide range of issues.
All submissions are acknowledged by my Department on receipt. I can confirm that a pre-Budget submission from the organisation referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department on 3 June 2026. The submission was forwarded to the relevant area of my Department for consideration in the context of the Budget process underway. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is a long-standing practice of the Minister for Public Expenditure not to comment in advance of the Budget on matters that may be the subject of Budgetary decisions.
185. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department maintains a risk register; if so, if copies of the register since 2022 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66076/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department maintains a Risk Register on a dynamic eRisk platform to track, monitor and mitigate against risk, as a key element of effective corporate governance and in line with the Department's overall Risk Management Guidance for the Civil Service.
This Risk Register is maintained as an internal database to ensure the effectiveness and integrity of the risk management process. The Risk Register is regularly updated and includes certain risks related to the ongoing deliberations of the Department and other confidential material. In this context, the Risk Register is not published by my Department. However, I will ask officials of my Department to write to the Deputy directly in the next two weeks providing a briefing note for him on the key risks on the Risk Register, although subject to some limitations in the above context.
Finally, I would highlight that the Risk Register is provided to the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of the annual audit process. In addition, reports on the Risk Register are provided regularly to the Department's internal Governance, Risk and ICT Sub-Group of the Management Board and to the Department's Audit Committee as part of their respective roles.
186. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has plans to introduce a 'tell us once' approach whereby people would be able to inform a single public body about the death of somebody, instead of having to inform multiple different public bodies. [66023/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overarching approach to implementing a ‘tell-us-once’ approach to public service delivery can be found across the Better Public Services - Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy, the Digital Public Services Plan 2030 and the Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services - A roadmap for delivering more efficient and user-centred public services across Government.
A core principle across each of these plans is the design of better public services centred around the different life events during which a person may need to interact with a public service body, in a way that promotes co-creation of seamless services by relevant departments involved in providing services for that life event, in a way that obviates the need for service users to continually provide the same information to different providers.
Supporting the Bereaved is a Phase 1 Life Event under the Digital Public Services Plan 2030, led by the Department of Social Protection. DSP have convened a Life Event Working Group to support collaboration, share knowledge, ensure its progression, deliver seamless, joined-up services that are more convenient, accessible and user-friendly. In line with the Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services, this work has examined user journeys for people interacting with these services with a view to streamlining and improving them, including reducing the number of times people have provide the same information and promoting more effective information sharing across departments, subject to any relevant data protection safeguards that might apply.
187. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the procurement process by which the contractor for the retrofit of Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, was appointed, including whether the contract was awarded by open tender and the number of tenders received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66222/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra188. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the sources of funding for the retrofit of Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, including the amount met from the Exchequer and the amount part financed by the European Union under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66220/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra189. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide a breakdown of the total cost of €11.467 million for the retrofit of Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, distinguishing between construction costs, professional and design fees, Office of Public Works project management costs, and any other costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66219/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra190. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the estimated payback period for the retrofit of Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, by the number of years over which projected energy savings are expected to recover the capital cost of the works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66217/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra191. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the projected annual energy cost and the projected annual energy saving for Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, following completion of the retrofit works; the basis on which those projections were calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66215/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra192. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the total annual energy cost of Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, in each of the past three years prior to the commencement of the recent retrofit works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66212/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 187 to 192, inclusive, together.
The information requested is being collated. The Office of Public Works will reply directly to the Deputy when the information is collated.
193. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to list the public procurement contracts recorded on eTenders as having been awarded to businesses with an address in County Offaly and the value of each of those contracts in each of the years 2021-2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by micro, small, medium and large enterprise, in tabular form. [66251/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPlease find the details for contracts awarded to micro, small, medium and large enterprises in County Offaly, in tabular form, in the attached Excel file.
194. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which the National Public Procurement Strategy will increase participation by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement; and whether there will be specific targets or measurable outcomes for SME participation. [66290/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraProcuring for our future: National Public Procurement Strategy 2026-2030, Ireland's first National Public Procurement Strategy, was informed by an extensive consultation process, which included significant engagement with the broad spectrum of Irish businesses, including through a public consultation process, stakeholder meetings, a dedicated supplier webinar and three regional roadshows.
Reflecting a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Strategy aims to make it easier for SMEs, particularly micro-enterprises, start-ups and social enterprises, to participate in public procurement. This is supported through a dedicated pillar, Investing in our Enterprise Base, which includes a number of actions aimed at reducing barriers to participation, increasing supplier awareness of public procurement opportunities, strengthening engagement between buyers and suppliers, improving access to procurement information and supporting a diverse and competitive supplier base.
A number of initiatives are already underway to support this objective, including a dedicated programme of SME webinars, a regional SME Breakfast Briefing in Sligo on 8 September and preparations for a national Supplier Expo in 2027. This builds on the success of Ireland's first National Supplier Expo in 2025, which attracted almost 3,000 attendees and demonstrated the strong appetite among businesses across Ireland to engage with public procurement opportunities.
While the Strategy does not set a specific participation target for SMEs, as part of the implementation process, each action within the Strategy is supported by a key performance indicator and associated reporting arrangements. Progress on actions intended to support SME participation will be monitored through these KPIs and overseen as part of the Strategy's implementation framework, which will include continued engagement with the SME Advisory Group. In addition, the Strategy provides for the development of a supplier sentiment survey which will help assess suppliers' experiences of engaging with public procurement and provide an important mechanism for measuring whether efforts to improve accessibility, participation and engagement are delivering tangible benefits for businesses.
Ireland already performs strongly in terms of SME participation in public procurement, with SMEs winning more than four out of every five contracts advertised on eTenders last year. Further success in this area will be measured through the delivery of the Strategy's actions and associated KPIs, ongoing engagement with suppliers and representative bodies and the insights gathered through the supplier sentiment survey. Through the implementation of the Strategy, the Government will continue to make public procurement more accessible, strengthen SME participation and support businesses of all sizes to compete for and secure public contracts.
195. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the guidance provided to public bodies regarding engagement with local micro and small enterprises when seeking quotations for contracts below the national advertising thresholds; and the measures in place to ensure that such opportunities are accessible to new and emerging suppliers and are not repeatedly confined to established or larger suppliers. [66289/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSupporting SME participation in public procurement remains a key Government priority. This is reflected in the recently published National Public Procurement Strategy, Procuring for our future, which sets out our ambition to optimise the use of public procurement as an investment tool by making it easier for SMEs to participate, particularly start-ups, micro-enterprises and social enterprises, thereby driving competition and value for money and delivering better public services.
The Strategy builds on the significant work undertaken by my Department in recent years to promote SME participation in public procurement. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which sits within my Department, has developed a range of guidance and practical supports aimed at promoting SME participation in public procurement. These resources encourage public buyers to adopt proportionate and SME-friendly procurement practices and encourage greater engagement with suppliers at all stages of the procurement process. Among these measures, public bodies are encouraged to consider seeking quotations from local SMEs and social enterprises and to make information on how they seek quotations for lower-value contracts available on their websites. The Procurement Officer Network has also provided a valuable forum for sharing practical examples of social enterprises successfully securing public contracts. These examples demonstrate the benefits of reaching out to a broad and diverse supplier base when seeking quotations, helping to increase competition, support local enterprise and deliver wider social value while continuing to achieve value for money.
My Department has taken a number of recent steps to simplify the procurement of goods and services below the national advertising threshold. On 15 September, new enhancements to the eTenders platform were launched to streamline the electronic Request for Quotation (RFQ) process. The enhanced functionality allows public buyers to search for suppliers by location when seeking quotations, making it easier to identify local suppliers when advertising lower-value procurement opportunities. In parallel, a new RFQ template was introduced to support public buyers in applying proportionate procurement practices for lower-value contracts. Together, these measures are intended to reduce administrative burdens for both buyers and suppliers, make it easier for SMEs and new market entrants to compete for public contracts, and improve access to procurement opportunities below the national advertising threshold.
Complementing this work, my Department provides a range of supports for suppliers through its dedicated Sell to Government webpage, which offers practical guidance and signposts businesses to resources designed to help them compete for public sector contracts. A further recent initiative is the launch of a webinar series designed to support SMEs in successfully tendering for public sector opportunities across all areas of Government.
Taken together, these measures reflect my Department's ongoing commitment to making public procurement more accessible, proportionate and user-friendly for SMEs. Through a combination of policy reform, practical guidance, digital improvements and supplier supports, we are working to make it easier for SMEs to participate in public procurement, thereby strengthening competition, supporting economic development, delivering value for money and helping to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people of Ireland and Irish businesses.
196. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation further to correspondence (details supplied), the engagement he or members of his Department has had with an organisation on the topic of (details supplied) and the outcome of any such engagement. [66258/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra197. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation further to correspondence (details supplied); the engagement he or members of his Department has had with an organisation on a topic; and the outcome of any such engagement. [66257/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra198. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether excluding retired medical scientists (having retired pre 1/1/2024) from the Labour Court-recommended pay adjustments implemented for medical scientists active or retiring from 01/01/2024, is consistent with past practice on pension parity for public servants. [66255/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra199. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will agree to and action the pay increase (details supplied). [66254/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 196 to 199, inclusive, together.
The pay adjustments arising from the Medical Scientist Grades Assessment were implemented following a 2023 Labour Court recommendation, which provides for their application no later than 1 January 2024 and subsequently formed part of the Pubic Service Agreement 2024-2026.
The revised rates introduced under Circular 2/2024 represented a regrading and movement to a new salary scale for Medical Scientist grades, effective from 1 January 2024. It is established practice that in such cases, the changes are not passed on to those who retired before its implementation.
The application of the new Medical Scientist Grade is in line with Public Service Pension Policy in this regard, i.e. where a post is upgraded, the terms of the upgrade apply from the date of the sanctioned upgrade. Terms do not apply retrospectively to previous post-holders, either employees who formerly held the post or retirees who previously held the post. This pertains across all grades of staff across the public service. This policy position has been subsequently supported by the Labour Court.
Accordingly, the exclusion of Medical Scientists who retired before 1 January 2024 from these specific adjustments is consistent with long-standing practice across the public service and with the operation of pension parity arrangements.
201. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on applications by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66090/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA).
As you will be aware, in January 2026 the department published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. While primary enrolments have been in decline nationally for many years and this trend is set to continue, the NDP Plan will seek to optimise outputs from the capital allocation, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs. A department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects.
This school’s application is under consideration in this context, and the school authorities will be contacted directly by my officials as soon as a decision has been made.
202. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department maintains a risk register; if so, if copies of the register since 2022 will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66074/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraA new Corporate Risk Register was developed in 2023 and last reviewed by the Management Board in March 2026. It lists the most serious risks that may affect the Department and / or the sector. It is a live document, reviewed twice annually by the Risk Committee and Management Board. The current Corporate Risk Register has been attached for the Deputy.
The Department also maintains a significant number of other risk registers that are maintained as internal documents for a wide variety of programmes and projects.
203. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school place could be provided for a child (details supplied). [66027/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that legal correspondence has been received on behalf of the person (details supplied) and has been responded to directly.
However, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) continue to support, and assist, the family in question, regarding the matters raised in your PQ.
My Department and the NCSE remain committed to supporting and assisting this family in ensuring that a positive outcome is reached for the student, in accessing an appropriate educational placement and this engagement is ongoing.
