Skip to main content
Normal View

Public Procurement Contracts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Questions (421, 422)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

421. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of her plans to publicly tender on a cost bid model for the local employment services and jobs clubs here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23152/21]

View answer

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

422. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider the delivery of the employment service initially as a two- or three-year pilot delivered by local development companies therefore eradicating the need to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23153/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 421 and 422 together.

My Department shortly intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment services into four geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The specific lots will be detailed in the RFT when published. The forthcoming RFT will place due emphasis on the quality of services to be provided, while expanding the capacity of the Public Employment Service (PES).

My Department has obtained legal advice that employment assistance and advice services must be procured though open competitive procurement processes in line with EU and national procurement rules.

In practice, the current annual "costs-met" funding approach requires a level of scrutiny of day-to-day expenditure, which places an undue administrative burden on both the employment service provider and my Department. Such an approach diverts valuable resources away from supporting clients and, as such, does nothing to enhance employment outcomes for the long-term unemployed. Moving to a new multi-annual funding approach, which pays for each jobseeker referred to the service, coupled with a strong emphasis on quality of service provision is more likely to deliver on a consistent basis enhanced outcomes for those availing of the service.

Separately, the current contracts for all contracted PES provision expire at the end of 2021 and my Department is therefore developing RFTs to ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules.

The need to expand employment services to ensure a State-wide provision of services to the long-term unemployed is not consistent with a more limited pilot scheme, with its narrower application.

Organisations with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to the RFTs when they issue.

Question No. 422 answered with Question No. 421.
Top
Share