Issue 665
Public Affairs Ireland
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Welcome to PAI's weekly newsletter
In this week's public sector news update, we'd like to draw your attention to noteworthy developments that have recently taken place. First and foremost, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a comprehensive report focusing on the country's procurement practices. According to the Charities Regulator, there have been concerning findings about Irish charities' compliance with governance standards in the past year, with many of them failing to meet their obligations. An intriguing article sheds light on the intersection of farming and politics, highlighting the potential impact of our changing climate on these two domains, and how they are heading towards a collision course. Lastly, we have an update from the?Government, as they have given their approval for the nomination of 10 new District Court judges, a significant step in the judicial system's development.
In an exciting development for Ireland's public procurement landscape, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, warmly welcomes a comprehensive report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the country's procurement practices.
Titled 'Procurement for Better Value – A Case Study of Ireland: Measuring the Impact of Centralised Purchasing,' the OECD study was commissioned by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). It highlights the crucial role of effective public procurement in supporting critical public services and achieving value for money, particularly amid supply chain challenges, global uncertainty, and escalating prices. The report emphasises the expanded focus of public procurement, which now encompasses not only ensuring fairness and value for money but also aligning with broader governmental policy objectives.
Significantly, the OECD report identifies the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) as a key player in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of public procurement in Ireland. Through collaboration with stakeholders, the OGP can actively influence the entire public procurement ecosystem. This strategic approach to procurement is instrumental in achieving various policy goals, including budget accountability, spending efficiency, environmentally friendly purchasing, and positive societal outcomes, as well as promoting social responsibility in global supply chains. The report advocates for leveraging available data and enhancing data collection, analysis, and measurement to inform strategic procurement decisions.
Minister Donohoe expressed his enthusiasm about the report, stating, "I welcome the publication of this report, which highlights the benefits of strategic, centralised procurement. Our Programme for Government includes commitments to evaluate and manage the environmental, economic, and social impacts of public sector procurement strategies. The OGP's broad mandate empowers it to influence the entire procurement process, allowing the public sector to drive the achievement of government policies and aspirations."?Echoing this sentiment, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth TD, added, "Centralised procurement arrangements provide a unified platform for the government to effectively pursue its climate change objectives. While we have made strides in utilizing public procurement to advance our climate goals, achieving ambitious environmental targets necessitates a whole-of-government approach and collective commitment from stakeholders across the public sector."
The OECD report also emphasizes the importance of enhanced digitalization in strategic procurement and highlights the GPP Criteria Search tool as an exemplar of such innovation. This online tool enables users to find, select, and download Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria tailored to specific procurement projects. Furthermore, the report suggests that platforms like eTenders, Ireland's national tendering platform, can facilitate improved data collection and measurement, provided there is a shared consensus and collaborative effort among relevant stakeholders.
?Centralised strategic procurement, as advocated in the report, holds the potential to help governments transition toward greater social and environmental sustainability. By clearly and consistently signalling buying needs to supply markets, such procurement practices also instil confidence in businesses to invest in new technologies.
?For those interested in delving deeper into the report, 'Procurement for Better Value – A Case Study of Ireland: Measuring the Impact of Centralised Purchasing' is accessible?here.
To view the Press Release?please?Click Here
7th, 14th and 21st November 2023
09:30 am – 4:00 pm, Blended
Wednesday 6th September 2023
10.00am – 4.00pm, Online
Many Irish charities failed to meet their obligations under governance standards last year, according to the Charities Regulator.
The 11,506 registered charities are legally required to file annual reports within ten months of their financial year-end, to ensure donors and the general public are informed.
However, there has been a 5% decrease in the number of total annual reports submitted by charities year-on-year, according to the Regulator.
By the end of 2022, 73% of reports had been submitted, which the Charity Regulator CEO described as "very disappointing".
Helen Martin said the Charities Regulator is "currently engaged" in an initiative to bring "non-compliant charities into compliance".
"In the interests of the public and out of fairness to the majority of charities that submit their annual reports on time each year, we have signalled to the sector that we will deal decisively with those charities that have repeatedly failed to file annual reports in a timely manner," she said.
Last year, the Charities Regulator received an average of 12 concerns per week, which were typically raised by members of the public.
That was an increase of 13% in 2022 compared to 2021.
The majority were dealt with through engagement with the organisation and without utilising any statutory powers....
To read full article?Click Here
Tuesday, 19th September (In Person), Tuesday, 26th September (Online)
9:30am to 3.30pm, Blended
Monday, 25th of September 2023
9.30-13.00, Online
‘We all need Irish agriculture to succeed but it will have to do so on new terms — chiefly, for ecological resilience’
?The West’s awake. And angry. At a public meeting organised recently by independent TDs, farmers vented their opposition to the proposed Nature Restoration Law declaring that “farmers want to farm, not to participate in agri-environmental schemes”. Such was the hostility towards climate and environmental policies that one farmer was reported as calling for the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action to be “thrown off the cliffs of Moher”. What is behind this over-the-top reaction?
?Worryingly, the tone from farming representatives in recent years has been aggressively anti-environment. The farm lobby has led campaigns against the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies, and most recently the proposed changes to nitrate rules and the Nature Restoration Law. While Irish Fine Gael MEPs, key supporters of the farming lobby, voted not to reject the Law outright, they supported amendments that gutted the proposal of its most important conservation measures. And this is in spite of the growing body of scientific evidence showing the vital role of agriculture in supporting nature restoration.
?Farmers reject policies that put limits on their capacity to extract from the land resource without compensation. But compensation is itself part of a long history of buying out farmland, feeding into a narrative of dispossession, land abandonment and loss of ties to place.?Yet Irish farming was once radically progressive. During the late 1870s, farmers across the West of Ireland were threatened by poor yields, bad weather and low prices. The prospect of another devastating famine spread panic throughout the population. The West woke, and the Irish Land League was born.
?Farmers led the movement for independence and for a grassroots democracy at a time when few Catholic farmers had the right to even own land, let alone vote. Of course, the League’s leadership saw an opportunity to use the land reform movement as political leverage for the nationalist cause...
To read the?full article?click here
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Tuesday, August 29th 2023
10.00am – 12.30pm, Online
Monday, October 16th, 2023
9.30am – 3.00pm, Online
Eight of the 10 nominations arose because of investment in additional judges following the work of the judicial planning working group, Government says
The Government has approved the nomination of 10 District Court judges and the appointment of Mr Justice Brian O’Moore, a High Court judge, to the Court of Appeal.?Educated at Trinity College Dublin, Mr Justice O’Moore was called to the Bar in 1984 and was appointed as judge of the High Court in December 2019.?The vacancy in the Court of Appeal arose following the appointment of Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly to the Supreme Court in June.
?The nominated District Court judges are: Nicola Jane Andrews (barrister); Monika Leech (barrister); Stephanie Coggans (solicitor); Fiona Brennan (solicitor); Catherine Hayden (solicitor); Philip O’Leary (solicitor); Michael Ramsey (barrister); Adrian Harris (solicitor); William Aylmer (solicitor); and Michael Connellan jnr (solicitor).
The Government said on Tuesday that eight of the 10 nominations to the District Court arose because of its investment in additional judges following the work of the judicial planning working group.
?“These eight judicial positions are the latest posts to be created as a result of the Government’s commitment to invest in the justice sector and will see the number of District Court judges increase from 63 to 71,” it said. “Two judicial vacancies arose due to the retirement of Judge Mary Emer Larkin on May 21st and Judge Dermot Simms on May 29th of 2023.
?“The Government has taken the necessary steps to formally advise President Higgins of the nomination in accordance with constitutional practice.”
To read the full Article?Click Here
Monday, August 28th 2023
10.00am – 12.30pm, Online
Wednesday, August 30th 2023
Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm, Online
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