868. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding a national procurement strategy, which was due to be published earlier this year; an explanation for the delay of this strategy; and a date for the publication of the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55523/26]

The National Public Procurement Strategy will be brought to Government on 29 July and published thereafter. The Strategy will set the strategic direction for public procurement in Ireland for the next five years. It will, for the first time, establish a shared vision, values and objectives for the public procurement system, providing a common framework for the procurement of goods, services and works across the public sector.

The Strategy represents a significant step towards realising the Government’s ambition to harness the spending power of the State as a strategic investment mechanism, delivering value for money and supporting enterprise growth in order to achieve better outcomes for our people, our society, our economy and our environment.

Given the scale and ambition of the Strategy, it was important that its development was informed by the views and experiences of suppliers and buyers from across the public procurement system, underpinned by a robust evidence base and careful consideration of its implementation arrangements and implications. While the Strategy was being developed, significant work was undertaken by my Department to lay the foundations for its successful implementation. A range of initiatives aligned with the Strategy's vision, values and objectives have already been progressed, including measures to support sustainable procurement, SME participation, transparency and simplification. As a result, the Strategy is both ambitious and practical, with the necessary foundations already in place to support successful delivery.