Some public bodies in Donegal not availing of cheaper stationary contracts

Donegal County Council, the Donegal VEC and the LYIT are amongst groups ‘named and shamed’ for failing to buy cut-price stationery that could save taxpayers up to €2.5m a year.
Half of local authorities,  just 19 of the 33 Vocational Education Committees and only one I.T. have availed of a contract enabling them to purchase office supplies at a 25pc discount.
Junior Minister for Public Service Reform Brian Hayes ordered a crackdown to stop wasteful spending by drawing up a list of the bodies that have availed of the reduced rates.
None of the three Donegal based organisations feature on a list released by the Office of Public Works.
Minister Hayes is demanding  to know why these bodies were not availing of centralised contracts. He said there was ample scope for savings as the public procurement market was worth about €16bn a year.
The estimated value of the stationery contract is €10m a year — roughly 25pc cheaper than the previous contract.
It is not clear why  Donegal VEC or LYIT have not availed of the savings but public bodies may not have acted because existing contracts have not run out.
Others are refusing to end long-standing deals with local suppliers, it is understood  Donegal County Council is seeking to strike a balance between making savings buy sourcing products nationally and supporting local rate paying suppliers.