PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Your essential weekly guide to legislative, regulatory and public affairs in Ireland Issue 249 October 19 2012 Next week in the Oireachtas Statements will be heard in the Dáil next week following European Council Meeting. Further talks on the economy will commence on Wednesday and on Thursday. Amongst the items on the agenda in the Seanad next week include questions and answers on Junior Cert reform and the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. Brian Hayes TD Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform delivers opening address at the PAI Conference Public procurement: eProcurement and eInvoicing Opening his address, the Minister said that “transparent public procurement is critical to achieving more efficient allocation of resources through increased competition, and helping the government and taxpayers to realise budgetary savings” and in this regard, reform of public sector procurement “is central to the Government’s reform agenda”. The Government, he added, wants to make eProcurement “the rule rather than the exception”. The introduction and promotion of new eProcurement practices in line with international best practice will lead to: clearer transparency and visibility, reducing risks and driving compliance; audit trails, providing greater control over procurement, and the proactive management and measurement of procurement performance, according to the Minister. Taking account of the SME sector, he added, one government objective “is to encourage the opportunities (SMEs) to tender for public sector From Right to Left: Vincent Campbell, Director, National Procurement Service, Office of Public Works; Billy Noone, former official at the National Public Procurement Policy Unit (NPPPU), Department of contracts and an important element for government Finance; Alain Deckers, Head of Unit, DG Internal Market C4 European Commission; Brian Hayes TD, in the roll out of eProcurement is to ensure that any Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with Special Responsibility for the Office of Public Works; Edmund Gray, PEPPOL project technical lead in Ireland, IT Sligo; Padraig Harte, IT Continued on page 2 Sligo; and Don Bergin, Public Affairs Ireland Lucinda Creighton elected Vice President of the European People’s Party Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda a German Government Minister and EPP is Wilfried Martens, former Prime Creighton TD, has been elected as Vice candidates representing the governing Minister of Belgium, while the role of President of the European People’s parties of Portugal, Sweden and Poland. Secretary General was won by Spainish Party (EPP), the largest and most Speaking in Bucharest, following her politician and Member of the European influential European-level political party. election Minister Creighton said: “This Parliament, Antonio Lopez-Isturiz. The announcement was made result is great recognition for the work we José Manuel Barosso, President of the following the EPP’s two day Congress are doing. There is a really strong sense in European Commission, and Herman Van in Bucharest, Romania yesterday. the EPP of support for Ireland on our road Rompuy, President of the European Council, Ms Creighton secured the first of to recovery. The position of Vice President will both serve alongside Minister Creighton ten positions and fought of strong presents a great opportunity to influence as ex-officio Vice Presidents of the EPP. competition from other candidates the biggest European party at the top level”. including three EU Commissioners, The newly elected President of the Public Affairs Tel: 01 8198500 Ireland Fax: 01 8944733 25 Mountjoy E: [email protected] Square East www.publicaffairsireland.com Dublin 1 twitter.com/publicaffairsir technology solution links up with suppliers vision requires careful planning, and not just a lead for the Irish pilot project was Edmund to the procurement system”. He added: “In technological solution, but also organisational Gray, from Sligo IT, who also spoke at the arriving at a solution, the Irish Government and legal solutions that advantage and conference. The seven Service Providers is working with other EU Member States not disadvantage the private sector.” that took part in the Pilot Project signed a so that for the SME sector the solutions At the beginning of 2012, the Minister Governance agreement, which assured provide opportunities for them to access “prioritised resources for the National interoperability between the service providers. wider markets, as well as driving cost Procurement Service to conduct a Pilot Project This project project, according to Minister savings to their business with government.” on eInvoicing and one that would investigate Hayes, “has proven that suppliers can Outlining some achievements to date, the use of PEPPOL (Pan-European Public send invoices electronically to Government the Minister mentioned the national portal, Procurement Online), a European Commission agencies irrespective of the formats used e-Tenders, something that has proven initiative to provide an infrastructure to facilitate by the Government Agency or the supplier.” “very successful”. He also announced cross border commerce including eInvoicing. In conclusion, Minister Hayes that “sometimes his intention to officially announce He also established a National eInvoicing something that sounds simple, such as details of an upgrade to this portal. Forum to inform the pilot, and, inform the receiving an invoice electronically, can, E-invoicing, the Minister said, is a “flagship roll out of eInvoicing for the public sector. when you explore the issues involved, initiative for this Government and we are one of Ireland is also a key contributor to the EU become very complex”. However, “by the lead countries piloting electronic invoicing National Stakeholder Forum on eInvoicing. adopting the PEPPOL infrastructure as a across the European Union”. The Government The pilot aimed to adopt eInvoicing for the means of transport for eInvoices into the “shares the Commission’s desire to see public sector using an open, competitive public sector we are providing a solution eInvoicing become the predominant method and transparent infrastructure which that benefits private and public sector alike.” of invoicing by 2020 in Europe. Realising this included proper governance. The technical Public Affairs Ireland Professional Development Presents Ireland’s EU Presidency Special Half-Day Seminar, Friday 9 November 2012, 9am to 1.30pm Topics Include: The main policy issues On January 1 2013, Ireland will undertake the 6-month Presidency of the European expected to arise Council for the seventh time, coinciding with the 40th Anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the EU. Cyprus will assume the Presidency immediately preceding us The liaison and coordination demands with Lithuania assuming the Presidency directly after us. internally (across Departments) and The forthcoming Presidency will be crucial in demonstrating Ireland’s ability to externally (with other manage the agenda of the EU in light of the current difficult times, and in the context Member States and the of a newly revived debate on the future of Europe. Therefore, it is essential that our EU institutions) to ensure term in office is well-designed and effectively executed. But what will the Presidency effective handling of those policies mean for those working in the various government departments and agencies in addition to non-public-service bodies that have close EU involvement? The distinction between Ireland as President Against this background, Public Affairs Ireland is organising a tailored, focused (seeking consensus/ and practical seminar that will address the main policy, institutional and logistical agreement) and Ireland as challenges that will arise. This seminar is taking place less than two months before Member State (defending our national position) the start of the Presidency, offering a final opportunity to evaluate the preparations currently in place to meet the expected challenges. Communication requirements nationally A smooth transition from the current Cypriot Presidency to the next Presidency ‘trio’ ( and at EU level Ireland, Lithuania and Greece), whose 18-month work programme is being prepared with Irish inputs, is in the pipeline but it is now time to take stock and put the finishing Resource requirements, including staffing touches to our contribution to the contingency programme. provision, at a time of national Budget Please click here for more information or call us on 01 819 8500. constraints Oireachtas Schedule: Week beginning October 22 Dáil Seanad October 23 October24 October 25 October 23 October 24 October 25 Business 2pm 10.30am 10.30am 2.30pm 10.30am 10.30am 9pm Questions (Minister Leaders Questions Leaders Questions Order of Business Order of Business Order of Business Statementsfor the Environment, on the Economy (resumed) (Department of Finance) Community and Local 10.51am 10.51am 3.45pm 11.45am 11.45am Government) Order of Business Order of Business Health Service Executive Statements post European Council Statements post Motion re: Houses of the Statements and Questions (Governance) Bill 2012 Meeting – 18/19 October, 2012 3.15pm European Council Oireachtas Commission and Answers on Junior Cert - Report Stage [Minister of State for European Leaders Questions Meeting (to conclude Funding (without debate) Reform and the Literacy and [Minister for Health] Affairs] in 85 minutes if not Statements