Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021
92. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1106 of 21 April 2021, when the report on the public employment service by an organisation (details supplied) will be published; when the response her Department received from the Labour Market Advisory Council to the report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26221/21]
View answerIn December 2019, after an open and transparent procurement process, my Department began engaging with external consultants to review all public employment services (PES), including contracted employment services delivered through EmployAbility, Job Clubs, JobPath and the Local Employment Services.The successful tender, a joint bid by the Institute for Employment Studies and Social Finance, both UK-based non-profit bodies, reviewed the existing contracted PES and engaged extensively with current employment service providers and other stakeholders.My Department received the report on the Public Employment Service from the Institute for Employment Studies last year. The report contributes to the ongoing process of procuring contracted employment service capacity to supplement the existing capacity of my Department's Intreo offices. I previously informed the House that I referred the report to the Labour Market Advisory Council for their views. The LMAC discussed the report and my Department subsequently received a response from the Council. Both the report and the views of the Council are contributions that are being carefully considered by officials in my Department in terms of the future design and approach to the Public Employment Service and the contracting of employment services by my Department. The review of contracted employment services is an ongoing process.
