Seán Canney TD has called on the Department of Finance and the Office of Government Procurement to make changes to the procurement rules to allow local tendering for local works and services.

Presently, the thresholds are too low to allow local government agencies to tender locally for supplies and services.

“The present system means that all basic requirements for school, hospitals and all public organisations have to be purchased centrally. This is the same for local authorities and all state and semi state organisations.”

The process excludes local contractors, suppliers and service providers as the tender process is bundled with a single supplier getting the business excluding small and local contractors and suppliers.

It is estimated that the value of Public Procurement of the next 5 years will be in excess of €85 billion to the economy.

It is imperative that small business right across the region are in a position to tender for this business.
The procurement process affects construction, suppliers and services. The changes should be made to incentivise small business as part of the COVID stimulus support package.
“We need to see local and regional economic activity and it is in the distribution of the public spending we will see local small business being re-activated”.

For more information contact Deputy Canney on 086-2513639
10th July 2020