Ireland stalls €1B Microsoft tender amid digital sovereignty questions
PUBLIC SECTOR
Government plans another Redmond-only procurement despite calls to consider European rivals
The Irish government has kicked a Microsoft procurement potentially worth €1 billion into touch amid a political debate about the nation's overreliance on US tech providers and a move to free and open source software.
In Ireland's parliament (Dáil Éireann), Frankie Feighan, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, said the recent tender for suppliers to take part in a framework agreement to supply Microsoft software and services had been canceled after "matters of concern were raised by an interested party."
"Having carefully considered those matters, the [Office of Government Procurement] determined it was prudent to cancel the competition and notify the market accordingly," he said.
The Irish government's current framework, valued at a maximum of €350 million, is set to expire in September 2027.
Cian O'Callaghan, deputy leader of the opposition...
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