Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2017
240. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the operations of a company (details supplied) in schools are kept under review, with a view to ensuring that the work carried out by the company is up to the appropriate standards and to ensuring that expenditure by the State on this company's services represents value for money. [11963/17]
View answer241. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a tender process was run before giving the contract for occupational health services for teachers and SNAs to a company (details supplied). [11964/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 241 together.
An Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for teachers and special needs assistants (Ss). The aim of this strategy is to promote the health of teachers and Ss in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises the Employee Assistance and Occupational Health Services for teachers and Ss. The Occupational Health Service incorporates pre-employment health assessments, sickness absence management, assessments of medical fitness for work and ill health retirement assessments.
The current Occupational Health service provider is Medmark Occupational Healthcare who, following a successful tendering process, was awarded a fixed-price contract for this service. This contract is due to expire on 31 December 2017. The Office of Government Procurement has recently issued a request for tenders to establish a Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of Occupational Health Services. The Department intends to purchase future Occupational Health services under this Framework Agreement.
Payments under the contract are made to the provider on receipt of properly furnished invoices accompanied by operational reports. This is in accordance with Service Level Agreements as provided for in the contract. The service is also reviewed by the education partners including the School Management Bodies and Teacher/Special Need Assistant representatives in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of the civil service.
