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PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER
Your essential weekly guide to legislative, regulatory and public affairs in Ireland
Issue 199 September 19 2011
This Week in the Oireachtas
The European Financial Stability Facility Bill and Euro Area
Loan Facility Bill will both be discussed in the Dáil this
week as will the Bill to confer greater powers on Oireachtas
Committees. The Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and
Education will meet to discuss the future development of
the further education sector and proposals to rationalise the
VECs. In the Seanad this week, the Qualifications and Quality
Assurance Bill will be discussed in its second stage.
Turn to page two for full Dáil and Committee schedule
Appointments
Appointments to Committee to Monitor the Effectiveness of the Diversion Programme
Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr. Alan Shatter TD announced the
appointment of members to the new Committee to Monitor the Effectiveness
of the Garda Diversion Programme. The programme deals with child offenders
and helps to reduce the number of offences committed by young people.
Assistant Garda Commissioner John Twomey has been appointed as
Student Grants Appeals Board created
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD, has established the
first Student Grants Appeals Board.
Former Secretary General of the Department of Social Protection, Ms.
Maureen Waldron will serve as Chairperson of the Board and she will be
joined by Mr. Padraig McNamara (vice-Chair) former Chief Executive
Chairperson of the Committee and Chief Superintendent Anne Marie
McMahon has been appointed as a committee member. Ms Norah Gibbons,
Director of Advocacy, Barnardos and Mr John Cheatle, Barrister, will take the
places of Mr Tim Dalton and Ms Phil Hanna who both served on the departing
Committee.
News
Energy management: Best practice procedures for the public sector
Since 2009, the Government has adopted major
documents aimed at reducing energy consumption
in the public sector. The first of which, the National
Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2009-2020 (NEEAP)
was adopted on May 8 2009 to achieve Ireland’s
energy efficiency targets with a 33 percent target for
Public Sector to 2020.
On December 22 2009, the Energy Services Directive
S.I. 542 was transposed with a 1500GWh savings target
for the public sector by 2016 and on April 5 2011, S.I.
No. 151/2011 - European Union (Energy Efficient Public
Procurement) Regulations 2011 was adopted.
From January 2011, all organisations are obliged to
report on their compliance with NEEAP. It is now of vital
importance to understand best practice procedures and
how to implement them. Public bodies must be able to
recognise actions taken to date for annual reporting, and
start to put in place a structured approach to achieve the
33 percent target in good time for 2020, whilst realising
Officer of the State Examinations Commission; Dr. Marie Clarke, Head of
Education at UCD; Ms. Rebecca Murphy, former Student Union Welfare
Officer, UCC; Ms. Eithne Frost, Consultant in the Voluntary Sector; Ms.
Brenna Clarke, retired Professor of English at St. Patrick’s College; and
Prof. Kevin Ryan, former Registrar of the University of Limerick.
cost savings in the face of increasing energy prices.
With these factors in mind, on October 4, November 8
and December 7, Public Affairs Ireland will host three
workshops on securing efficiencies, cost savings and
legal compliance through effective energy management.
The workshops which will provide a practical and
structured approach to energy management.
Course tutor, Conor Molloy, who has obtained a MSc
in Renewable Energy & Energy Management and has
worked with public bodies including SEAI, Revenue,
Bord Bia, Bus Éireann and others, expects delegates to
leave with a clear understanding of the 5 pillars of energy
management, know the necessary steps to achieve the 33
percent target, understand how to put a structured energy
management programme in place and know how to make
a succinct business case for a focused energy approach to
energy reduction in the organisation. To find out more or
to book a place on one of these workshops click here.
Public Affairs
Ireland
25 Mountjoy
Square East
Dublin 1
Tel: 01 8198500
Fax: 01 8944733
E: info@publicaffairsireland.com
www.publicaffairsireland.com
twitter.com/publicaffairsir

This Week in the Oireachtas
Dáil
September 20 September 21
September 22
Seanad
September 20 September 21
September 22
2.00pm
Questions (Minister for Justice and Equality)
3.15pm
Leaders Questions
3.36pm
Questions (Taoiseach)
4.36pm
Order of Business
5.06pm
Topical Issues
5.54pm
30th Amendment of the Constitution
(Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiry) Bill
2011 Committee and Remaining Stages
(Department of Public Expenditure and
Reform)
European Financial Stability Facility
(Amendment) Bill and Euro Area Loan
Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011 Order for
Second Stage and Second Stage
7.30pm
Private Members Business
10.30am
Leaders Questions
10.51am
Order of Business
11.21am
European Financial Stability Facility
(Amendment) Bill and Euro Area Loan
Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011 All
Stages (Department of Finance)
1.30pm
SOS
2.30pm
Questions (Minister for Defence)
3.45pm
Topical issues
4.33pm
Morning Business Continued
7.30pm
Private Members Business
Afternoon Business Continued
10.30am
Leaders Questions
10.51am
Order of Business
11.11am
National Tourism
Development
Authority
(Amendment) Bill
2011 Order for
Second Stage and
Second Stage
(Department of
Transport Tourism
and Sport)
3.42pm
Topical Issues
4.30pm
Questions (Minister
for Education and
Skills)
2.30 pm
Order of Business
3.45pm
Qualifications and Quality
Assurance (Education and
Training) Bill 2011 – 2nd
Stage
(Minister for Education and
Skills)
5.45pm
Matters on the Adjournment
10.30am
Order of Business
11.45am
Statements and Q & A on the Arts
(Minister for Arts, Heritage and the
Gaeltacht)
3.00 pm
Private Members Business
- Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal
Legal Cases Bill 2011
(Senator John Crown)
5.00pm
Twenty-Ninth Amendment
of the Constitution (Judges’
Remuneration) Bill 2011 – All
Stages
(Minister for Justice, Equality and
Defence)
7.00pm
Matters on the Adjournment
10.30am
Order of Business
11.45am
European Financial Stability
Facility (Amendment) and
Euro Area Loan Facility
(Amendment) Bill 2011
- All StagesMotion regarding
the Early Signature of the
European Financial Stability
Facility (Amendment) and
Euro Area Loan Facility
(Amendment) Bill 2011
3.30pm
Thirtieth Amendment of the
Constitution (Houses of the
Oireachtas Inquiries) Bill 2011
– All Stages
7.00pm
Matters on the Adjournment
9.00pm
Afternoon Business Continued
Committees
September 20
2pm
Communications, Natural
Resources and Agriculture,
Committee Room 3, Leinster
House
Agenda: Strategic Plan 2010-
2015
2pm
Jobs, Social Protection and
Education
Committee Room 2
Agenda:
1. (i) The future development of
the Further Education Sector
(ii) (a) Proposals to rationalise
the VECs; and
(b) The future development of
the Further Education Sector
2. Proposals to remove barriers
to taking up employment where
real income is reduced when
social welfare benefits are lost
2.30pm
Environment, Transport,
Culture and the Gaeltacht
,Committee Room 4, Leinster
House
Environmental impact of
hydraulic fracturing as against
other methods of gas extraction
4pm
Members’ Interests (Seanad
Eireann)
Committee Room 1
Agenda: Private Meeting
September 21 September 22
9.30am
Jobs, Social Protection and Education
Committee Room 3, Leinster House
1. (i) The future development of the Further Education
Sector
(ii) (a) Proposals to rationalise the VECs; and (b) The
future development of the Further Education Sector
2. Proposals to remove barriers to taking up
employment where real income is reduced when social
welfare benefits are lost
9.30am
Justice, Defence and Equality
Committee Room 2, Leinster House
Agenda:
Submissions re: the proposed National Vetting Bureau
Bill 2011. Session 1 (9.30 to 10.30 a.m.)
(i) ISPCC and Barnardos
(ii) GAA and Swim Ireland
Session 2 (11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.)
(i) The Teaching Council, IUA and INTO;
(ii) The Arts Council, Poetry Ireland & Create Ireland;
and (iii) Rape Crisis Network Ireland and Society of
SVP
1.30pm
Administration
Committee Room 1, Leinster House
Agenda:
Private Meeting
2pm
Public Expenditure and Reform
Committee Room 4, Leinster House
Agenda:
2011 Supplementary Estimates for Public Services
- Vote 42
4pm
Investigations, Oversight and Petitions
Committee Room 3, Leinster House
Agenda:
Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee
[Mr. David Lowe, Head of Secretariat of the European
Parliament’s Petitions Committee]
5pm
Procedure and Privileges (Dáil Eireann)
Committee Room 2, Leinster House
Agenda:
Private Meeting
10am
Public Accounts
Committee Room 1, Leinster
House
Agenda:
(i) Business of the Committee; and
(ii) 2009 Appropriation Accounts
and Annual
Report of the Comptroller and
Auditor General:
Appropriation Accounts:
Vote 9: Office of the Revenue
Commissioners
Annual Report:
Chapter 12: Revenue Collection
Chapter 13: Collection
Performance by Sector and Tax
Head
Chapter 14: Revenue Compliance
Interventions
Chapter 15: Counteracting
Smuggling of Tobacco Products
Chapter 16: Revenue Repayments
Chapter 17: Loss Reliefs
Chapter 18: Performance
Outcomes in Revenue
11.30am
European Union Affairs
Committee Room 3, Leinster
House
Agenda:
Israel’s military actions in the
Occupied Territories
[Mr. Noam Chayut, Breaking the
Silence]
11.30am
Health and Children
Committee Room 2, Leinster
House
Agenda:
Problem / illegal drug use
(Resumed)
- Upcoming courses
and seminars -
Click on a date for more information
Certificate in Data Protection
Wednesday September 21
Energy Management
Tuesday October 4
Certificate in Essential Human
Resource Management
Wednesday October 5
Certificate in Corporate Governance
Tuesday October 11
Certificate in Project Managment for
Public Sector Administration
Tuesday November 8
Minute Taking
Wednesday September 13
Using Social Media in the Public
Sector
Wednesday September 14
Effective Debt Management & Debt
Recovery
Thursday September 22
Judicial Review, Administrative
Decisions, Statutory Appeals
Thursday September 22
Managing Performance Throughout
the Year
Wednesday September 28
Microsoft Excel Stage 1
Wednesday September 28

Public Affairs Ireland 6th conference on public procurement
Thursday September 22
A New Era For Public
Procurement in Ireland?
A special conference to address the challenges and opportunities
for the public sector at a time of fiscal correction
HALF DAY CONFERENCE • GRESHAM HOTEL • SEPTEMBER 22
Keynote speakers, Phil Hogan TD, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government
and Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works
• Do current procedures need to
be simplified,in particular for small
local and public authorities in
Ireland and elsewhere?
• Circular 10/10 on SMEs, is it
causing issues?
• Standstill letter, getting it right?
• Award criteria, question of
treatment of experience?
• Are public authorities subject
to competing policy objectives
surrounding public procurement?
• Should contracts between
public authorities be exempt
from the application of EU public
procurement rules?
• How is the plan for shared
services impacting on public
procurement at national and local
government levels?
• What will Green Public
Procurement rules mean for public
authorities?
• Framework agreements, do they
need to be simplified?
Public Procurement is big business in Ireland
– last year it amounted to €15bn for public
authorities. Public servants charged with the
procurement function for their organisations
are facing increased pressures to secure
value for money, while a myriad of competing
policy objectives seem to be adding to
the complexity of public procurement,
rather than simplifying the process.
Procurement officers often comment that
the increasing complexity of procurement
rules and the added and sometimes
competing requirements that they face when
making sourcing decisions mean that the
process is becoming more important than
the end result – the procuring of goods
and services in the shortest possible
time and at the best possible prices.
There are signs that these concerns are
being heard at EU level. The European
Commission published a Green Book on
the modernisation of the European Public
Procurement Market in January. In a
statement, the Internal Market and Services
Commissioner Michel Barnier said: “We need
to clarify public procurement rules to make
life easier for both public authorities and
companies bidding for contracts in Europe.
Access of smaller companies to procurement
markets, reducing red tape, or promoting
For more information click here
European cross-border procurement will be
under the spotlight during the consultation.
My ambition is also to make sure that
public procurement can help job creation,
innovation, and protection of the environment.”
The Commission is even questioning if it
makes sense to treat every public authority,
regardless of how small it is, the same
when it comes to its procurement rules.
At a national level, the Minister for the
Environment, Community and Local
Government, Mr Phil Hogan T.D. has published
a draft National Action Plan on Green Public
Procurement (GPP) for public consultation.
The requirement for GPP will impose new
obligations on public authorities. The draft
Action Plan proposes seven priority product
groups for which the public sector should
seek to “green” their tendering processes on
a national basis. These seven product groups
are: construction, energy, food and catering
services, transport, cleaning products and
services, paper and uniforms and other
textiles. Minister Hogan said that
the Action Plan will provide the
framework for the development
of GPP in a consistent,
progressive and
coherent fashion.
• What reforms are the EC
planning for the future EU
procurement regime?
• Are EC processes aiding the
achievement of efficiencies or
simply adding to red tape?