My Department has responsibility for public procurement policy development, guidance, systems and advisory services, as well as the establishment of central buying solutions that serve the needs of public service bodies, PSBs. My Department provides a wide range of supports to assist public service bodies in the procurement of information and communications technology systems and services, both through practical procurement assistance and the provision of guidance and central procurement solutions. The public procurement guidelines for goods and services, published by my Department, are designed to promote best practice and consistency in the application of public procurement rules in relation to the purchase of goods, services and works, including ICT goods and services. In addition to these general guidelines, my Department has also developed ICT-specific supports, including comprehensive guidance on the procurement of cloud services and recent guidance on measures that PSBs may take to mitigate potential cost and supply impacts arising from the global, AI-driven shortage of critical memory and storage IT components. PSBs can access a broad range of ICT expertise through my Department’s central procurement solutions, including ICT research and advisory services, ICT consultancy services, procurement consultancy services and ICT professional services. PSBs can also access central procurement solutions for common ICT products and services, ranging from communications and networking solutions to data centre equipment, personal computers and a number of software licensing renewal arrangements. A number of public sector bodies undertaking procurement of ICT systems have also been provided by my Department with guidance, documentation and advice at key stages of the procurement life cycle.

Sentiment score: 0.34

My Department provides broad governance, oversight and strategic supports for digital and ICT initiatives. The arrangements for the oversight of digital and ICT-related initiatives in the civil and public service require PSBs to obtain approval from my Department before commencing new digital or ICT initiatives, publishing procurement documentation or entering into commitments involving expenditure. These arrangements promote early engagement, support whole-of-government co-ordination and help to avoid duplication of investment. My Department also delivers a range of shared digital and ICT services for use across government, including government networks, the national low latency platform, a managed desktop and a government private cloud. There is a lot of good work going on. I thank the Deputy for her questions.

Sentiment score: 0.44

I take the Deputy’s valid concerns on board. While my Department provides extensive guidance, oversight and procurement supports, individual PSBs ultimately retain responsibility for determining the suitability of their requirements, governance arrangements, project delivery approaches and the successful implementation of ICT projects under their remit. There is support for the Public Appointments Service and for digital and ICT initiatives of significant scale, risk or strategic importance, including all projects with an estimated lifetime cost exceeding €5 million. The OGCIO operates a formal peer review process, which assesses governance, delivery approach, cost risks and alignment with wider public service strategies, and provides an independent challenge to ensure robust decision-making and, more importantly, value for money.

Sentiment score: 0.54