Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
180. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis her Department has carried out into the impact of the change to the new regional employment service model on local employment services and jobs clubs; the details on the second phase of the tender process; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35305/21]
View answerIn December 2019, my Department engaged external consultants, IES and Social Finance, to carry out a review of all public employment services, including EmployAbility, Job Clubs, JobPath and the Local Employment Services.The consultants in their review engaged extensively with current employment service providers and other stakeholders in the process including representative bodies for the unemployed. Their review makes a significant contribution to the ongoing process of procuring contracted employment service capacity to supplement the existing capacity of my Department's Intreo offices.The IES and Social Finance review reiterated the findings of the earlier 2018 Indecon Review of Job Clubs which recommended that the Department integrate LES and Job Clubs into one service, thereby reducing administrative duplication and supporting a more effective and efficient overall employment support service for those who require this support. Many of the current LES and Job Clubs contracts have been in place for over 20 years with no competitive procurement being undertaken in that period. This is contrary to the requirements of good governance or procurement rules. The request for tender recently published and those being developed will ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules. When this process is complete, there will be a significant increase in the overall level of employment services available to jobseekers across the State. This will mean that the unemployed irrespective of where they live will have access to the full range of quality employment services provided by the Public Employment Service. The second phase of the procurement process will see new Regional Employment Services in place for January 2022.
